On June 29, HUD released a Notice on “Assisted housing for persons with disabilities under Olmstead implementation efforts to provide community-based options rather than institutional settings.” HUD’s Section 504 regulations impose an affirmative obligation on housing authorities to assess the housing needs of persons with disabilities in their service area. The Notice provides guidance to housing authorities on actions that they may take to assist persons with disabilities transitioning from institutions and persons at risk of institutionalization to access assisted housing.

The actions presented as examples of how housing authorities may work to address identified housing needs include:

• Establishing a local admissions preference;
• Dedicating non-elderly disabled (NED) vouchers;
• Leveraging Section 811 funds within public housing as part of a 2012 demonstration;
• Enhancing outreach;
• Developing an accessible housing list;
• Providing flexibility related to application procedures and addressing challenges related to location of accessible housing and portability;
• Seeking service-based resources.

The Notice encourages housing authority and local HUD staff to receive and conduct training on this issue. It also includes a list of additional resources for guidance.

Please direct any questions about this Notice to CLPHA Research & Policy Analyst Leah Staub.