Tools to Support Partnership Action

Cross-sector partnerships between the housing sector and homelessness service networks, disability and aging networks, and health, tribal health, and behavioral health systems have many ways to expand and enhance housing options for people with disabilities and older adults, including individuals experiencing homelessness. Various tools are available to make taking action easier.

Data and Directories for Community Context

Data

Inform your partnership’s planning by learning more about your community through these and other local data sources. Although some sources do not provide disability or age-specific data, partnerships may still find the data useful for planning and advocacy.

• Fair Housing Trends Report: report that details incidents of illegal housing discrimination that occurred in 2021, including comprehensive fair housing complaint data and a sample of important outcomes for housing/lending discrimination cases in 2021 and early 2022
• Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR): reports that provide counts for sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons by household type and subpopulation, available at the national and state level, and for each Continuum of Care (CoC)
• Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Data and Mapping Tool (AFFH-T): interactive tool with federal data that can be used to support fair housing planning and to assess and analyze fair housing issues in jurisdictions
• AGing, Independence, and Disability (AGID) Program Data Portal: interactive portal ACL-related data files and surveys with population characteristics from the Census Bureau for comparison purposes
• Aging Stats: portal with information and publications on the aging population
• Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Aging Data Portal:website with data on indicators of health and well-being for older adults, including caregiving, screenings and vaccinations, and mental health
• American Housing Survey: online tool with Census data on housing and related publications
• Continuum of Care (CoC) 2021 Dashboard Reports: reports showing claimed geography and geographic coverage changes for the previous two program years, each CoC’s awards by award amount, program type, and renewal type and summary Point In Time and Housing Inventory Count data
• Disability: website to Census data and reports on people of all ages with disabilities
• Housing: website to all Census sources of data and publications on housing affordability, housing patterns, housing vacancies, new housing (construction), rental housing, and residential financing
• HUD Housing Choice Vouchers Dashboard: website with Housing Choice Voucher information including Mainstream Vouchers and vouchers for Family Unification (FUP) and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) programs
• National Health Center Program Uniform Data System (UDS) Awardee Data: tool providing national Health Center Program awardee aggregated data on patient characteristics, services provided clinical processes and health outcomes, patients' use of services, staffing, costs, and revenues over the last five years
• Older Population and Aging: Census information and statistics on population aging and the older population
• Residential Information Systems Project: analyses of longitudinal data on Medicaid-funded residential and in-home supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Trends in the Use of Residential Settings among Older Adults: brief with data on the estimated change in the size of residential care population and characteristics of older adults within different settings

Directories

Find potential organizations to partner with via these directories.

Housing

• Database of Vouchers for People with Disabilities: database of organizations that administer Housing Choice Vouchers targeted to people with disabilities and other special need
• Emergency Rental Assistance Programs: searchable directory of state, tribal, county, and city programs that have Emergency Rental Assistance for tenants and landlords.
• Fair Housing Assistance Program: searchable directory of state and local agencies that administer fair housing laws.
• Fair Housing Initiatives Program: searchable directory of FHIP organizations that assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination
• Public Housing Agency (PHA): searchable directory of PHA profiles that also have contact information
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Property Map: searchable directory to find affordable housing, homelessness resources, and public housing agencies and authorities

Community Services

• Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC): searchable directory of AAAs and ADRCs on the Eldercare Locator website 
• Centers for Independent Living (CIL): searchable directory of CILs
• Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL): hotline for people with disabilities to 1) find vaccination sites, learn about vaccines, and overcome barriers to becoming vaccinated for the coronavirus and 2) be connected to information and services that promote independent living and address fundamental needs, such as food, housing, and transportation
• National Residential Information Systems Project: national and state-level profiles of long-term supports and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• State Medicaid Agencies: online directory with links to each state’s Medicaid agency
• Title VI Program (Older Americans Act Native American Programs): online directory of Title VI programs with contact information for this network that provides nutrition, supportive services, and caregiver support services for American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians

Funding and Programs

Explore how funding and programs may help your partnership plan and launch new efforts to enhance housing options, expand access to voluntary community services, and end homelessness among people with disabilities and older adults.

For tribal housing and community services, visit Tribal Housing

Cross-Cutting

• Accessibility Requirements for Buildings: website with information on the housing accessibility requirements for both private and federally assisted housing
  • Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards: document detailing the uniform standards for the design, construction and alteration of residential buildings covered by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 so that individuals with physical disabilities will have ready access to and use of them
• Applying New COVID-19-Related Funding to Address the Housing Needs of Individuals with Serious Mental Illness, Substance Use Disorders, and Co-occurring Disorders: paper on newly available federal funds that can be utilized for housing and paired with supportive services
• Braiding and Layering Funding to Address Housing: a set of issue briefs to help state and territorial health agency staff understand the process of braiding and layering funds to support housing
• Community Mental Health Services Block Grants (MHBG): gateway website about this funding program for community-based mental health services for adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances
• Funding Sources Successfully Used by States to Support Development of Integrated, Affordable, and Accessible Community Housing: quick reference guide to funding sources for integrated, affordable, and accessible housing for people with disabilities
• Grant for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (GBHI): website on this funding program to help communities expand and strengthen treatment and recovery support services for individuals experiencing homelessness who have substance use disorders or co-occurring mental and substance use disorders
• Homelessness Resources: website with information about federal homelessness programs and interactive directories for state programs and organizations
• Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act: website with information about the Fair Housing Act and other anti-discrimination provisions that apply to federally assisted housing
• HUD Exchange: website that centralizes resources and services on housing and homelessness 
• Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH): website with information about this federal funding source for services for people with serious mental illnesses who are at risk for or experiencing homelessness
• Rural Housing: gateway website with information about programs to build or improve housing in rural areas
• Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants (SABG): gateway website on this funding program to support and expand substance use disorder prevention and treatment
• Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program: website with program description of and resources related to Section 202
• Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities: website with program description of and resources related to Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program
• Treatment for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness (TIEH): website on this discretionary funding program to help communities expand access to mental and substance use disorders treatment for people experiencing homelessness who have a serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, or co-occurring mental and substance use disorders

Accessibility

• Accessibility Requirements for Buildings: website with information on the housing accessibility requirements for both private and federally assisted housing
• Assistive Technology (AT) and Universal Design Working Group: design, development, policy, systems, and services research related to AT
• Disability Housing Grants for Veterans: housing modification grants through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance for Accessibility Items for Homeowners and Renters: webpage with information about replacing adaptive or accessibility items damaged during a disaster

• Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act: gateway website with ADA laws and regulations, design standards, and technical assistance materials
• Older Adults Home Modification Grant Program: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced a new funding opportunity to support low-income older adult homeowners through the use of low-cost and low-barrier home modifications.
• A Primer on Affordable Housing Development and Key Funding Sources: guide for community agencies, Continuums of Care (CoCs), service providers, and other housing stakeholders to better understand the affordable housing development process and identify potential resources to support development in their communities
• Reinstatement and Revision of Accessibility Requirements for Native American Programs: notice providing guidance for tribes and tribally designated housing entities on regulations regarding accessibility and nondiscrimination in HUD funded Indian housing programs
• Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants (Section 504 Home Repair): program in rural areas that provides loans to very-low-income homeowners or grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners
• Statement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on the Role of Housing in Accomplishing the Goals of Olmstead: guidance for HUD-assisted housing providers on ways to support state and local Olmstead efforts to increase integrated housing opportunities for individuals with disabilities who are transitioning from, or at serious risk of entering institutions
• U.S. Access Board: website that promotes equality for people with disabilities via accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards for architecture and community settings

Affordability

• Assistance for Housing and Other Needs: website with information about federal assistance for individuals and families with disaster-caused damages to homes 
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: information for consumers regarding financial issues related to housing, including COVID-19 housing resources, mortgages, rent and eviction, and more
• COVID-19 Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Referral Packet Template: Example Forms: editable referral packet template for public housing agencies and HUD Continuums of Care to support the EHV referral process
• Do You Think Older Renters on a Fixed Income Can’t Get Help with Back Rent? Think Again!: issue brief on ways the Emergency Rental Assistance Program may help older adults and other people on a fixed income with paying back rent and utilities to prevent evictions and utility shutoffs
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program: website with information about assistance through federal pandemic response legislation
• Emergency Rental Assistance Programs & Other Tools to Prevent Evictions of Older Adult Tenants (National Center on Law and Elder Rights): brief with overviews of various tools available to prevent evictions of older adults
• Homeowner Assistance Fund: website with information about the fund for preventing mortgage delinquencies and defaults, foreclosures, loss of utilities or home energy services, and displacement of homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020
• HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing: website with information program combines HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program: website with information about LIHEAP, which assists eligible low-income households with their heating and cooling energy costs, bill payment assistance, energy crisis assistance, weatherization and energy-related home repairs
• Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC): searchable dataset of all LIHTC projects placed into service
• A Primer on Affordable Housing Development and Key Funding Sources: guide for community agencies, Continuums of Care (CoCs), service providers and other housing stakeholders on the affordable housing development process and potential resources to support development in their communities
• Products Offered by State Housing Finance Agencies: brief on the role of state housing finance agencies in creating affordable housing
• Recovery and Economic Support: website about COVID-19 federal assistance and programs, including suspension of rent payments and funding opportunities 
• Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants: website about loans and grants to very-low-income homeowners for repairs, improvements, or removal of health and safety hazards
• VA Housing Assistance: information about benefits and services to help veterans buy or build a home, refinance a loan, improve a home, or keep a h­ome

Fair Housing

• Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: website on Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, known as the Fair Housing Act which, requires HUD and recipients of federal HUD funds to affirmatively further the policies and purposes of the Fair Housing Act, also known as “affirmatively further fair housing” or “AFFH.”  
• Fair Housing Information for Individuals with Disabilities: website with basic information about individuals with disabilities and protections under the fair housing laws
• Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act (HUD): website about the Fair Housing Act and other anti-discrimination provisions that apply to federally assisted housing
• Joint Statement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice on State and Local Land Use Laws and Practices and the Application of the Fair Housing Act: guidance detailing states and localities legal obligation to comply with the Fair Housing Act by prohibiting land use and zoning laws, policies, and practices that discriminate based on disability and other characteristics protected under the Act

Supportive Services that Make Community Living Possible

• Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants (SABG): website on this funding program to support and expand substance use disorder prevention and treatment
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Initiative for Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness (FR-6500-N-25S): package of resources to help communities implement coordinated approaches for assisting people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including funds set aside specifically for vulnerable people in rural communities
• Family Self Sufficiency: website on this federal program to develop local strategies that coordinate public and private resources so Housing Choice Voucher program participants and public housing tenants may obtain employment in support of economic independence
• Implementation of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Section 9817: Additional Support for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) During the COVID-19 Emergency: letter to state Medicaid directors with guidance on how states can receive enhanced funding to increase access to HCBS for Medicaid beneficiaries
• Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program: website on this program that increases use of home and community-based services (HCBS) and reduces use of institutionally-based services so Medicaid-eligible individuals receive support for appropriate and necessary long-term services and supports in the settings of their choice
• Putting Durable Medical Equipment within Reach: issue brief that highlights the Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota Assistive Technology Reuse programs
• Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Program: website on federal program that enables public housing authorities to hire a program coordinator who links residents with training opportunities, job placement organizations, and local employers
• Service Coordinator in Multifamily Housing: website on the federal program that supports service coordinators to be placed in insured and assisted Multifamily Housing designed for the elderly and persons with disabilities
• Veteran Directed Care Program (VDC): program that enables veterans and their caregivers to choose what services they need and allows them to hire, schedule and supervise their own workers

Homelessness

• Continuum of Care (CoC) Program (HUD Exchange): website for the federal program that 1) promotes community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; 2) provides funding for efforts by nonprofit providers and state and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness; 3) promotes access to utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and 4) optimizes self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness
• Homelessness Resources (HUD): website with information about federal homelessness programs and interactive directories for state programs and organizations
• A Technical Assistance Guide: Addressing Homelessness in Rural Communities: guide that outlines federal funding sources for rental assistance and affordable rental housing development
• U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness: gateway website with information, research, best practices, and tools for preventing and addressing homelessness

Toolkits and Tools

Design and implement your partnership’s strategies with help from these toolkits and tools.  

• Person-Centered Practices Self-Assessment: tool for human service agencies to measure their program in developing a more person-centered systems for long-term services and supports, including home and community-based services
• Affordable Housing How-To Guide: guide for using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to invest in affordable housing development
• Assistive Technology (AT)Toolkit: online tool that organizes AT considerations and resources 
• Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide for People at Risk of Eviction: interactive online tool to help people needing emergency rental assistance or information on eviction moratoriums, legal and housing aid, economic impact payments, and more
• Dimensions of Quality Supportive Housing Guidebook: guidebook for housing sector on creating and operating high-quality, effective, and sustainable supportive housing units
• Get Started on Your Multifamily Affordable Housing Preservation Strategy: guidebook for property owners to develop a strategy and partnerships that preserve critically needed multifamily affordable housing assets
• Help for Homeowners and Renters During the Coronavirus National Crisis: online tool to access information on mortgage and rental relief and legal rights 
• Home Modification Information Network: online directory of each state’s home modification policies, funding sources, and programs
• Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Landlord Resources: webpage with tools, information, and other technical assistance resources to support landlord participation in HCVs
• Medicaid Innovator Accelerator Program State Medicaid-Housing Agency Partnership Toolkit: toolkit for states on systems-level changes that further community integration especially for health care and housing
• Planning for Sustainability: brief that helps professionals plan for future sustainability of a grant-funded project
• Rental Assistance Finder: online tool with information and links to help tenants and landlords take advantage of emergency rental assistance 
• Tribal Housing: Housing and Services Resource Center’s webpage with tools and resources for tribal housing

Training and Education

Use existing training and education to enhance professionals’ skills and knowledge to implement new or expanded housing and services models.

• Affordable Housing for Older Adult and People with Disabilities: online training with an overview of the type of affordable housing that are available to older adults and people with disabilities (find course under Community Integration)
• Building HOME Online Training: 12 self-paced training modules on HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)
• Demonstrating the Impact of Supportive Housing: recorded Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program webinar on evaluation to measure the impact of supportive housing on homelessness and health care utilization
• Effective Service Coordination: Engaging Consumers with a Holistic Approach to Independent Living Services: on-demand training for service coordination, including best practices, innovative approaches, and proven methods 
• Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Office Hours: recorded office hours to support successful EHV utilization
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program: Tools to Assist the People You Serve: recorded webinar and related materials for professionals that features tools and information to help people assist consumers with the Emergency Rental Assistance Program
• How CILs Can Transform the Housing Landscape: on-demand training on solutions to expand accessible, affordable, integrated housing in communities for people with disabilities
• HOME Investment Partnership American Rescue Plan Program (HOME-ARP) Notice Review Webinar Series: recorded webinars about HOME-ARP funding to reduce homelessness and increase housing stability across the country
• Introduction to Housing Models, Housing Navigation, & Engagement: interactive, multi-module online training with foundational information about housing models, engagement, and navigation strategies that support individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness who have serious metal illness, serious emotional disturbance, substance use disorders, and/or co-occurring disorders
• Landlord Incentives Webinar: recorded HUD webinar discussing landlord incentives and how to use them in a competitive housing market
• Pairing HUD and HHS Resources to Address Homelessness Webinar Series: webinar series with information on partnership opportunities and approaches to pairing HHS agency resources with HUD housing assistance for people experiencing homelessness, including the 70,000 Emergency Housing Vouchers
  • CMS-Medicaid Resources for Housing Supportive Services
  • HRSA and SAMHSA Resources for Housing Supportive Services
• Practitioner Training: website with tools, training, and technical assistance to practitioners in the fields of mental health and substance use disorders
• Supporting Households through the Housing Search Process: training that features housing search models, barriers, and promising practices for finding units, securing leases, and more
• System-Level Approaches to Landlord Engagement Webinar: recorded HUD webinar to encourage landlord engagement to pool resources and capacity
• Training on Homelessness for Public Health Providers: training course designed for anyone serving people who are experiencing homelessness to build knowledge and skills related to public health protections and response to public health emergencies among people experiencing homelessness

Visit What’s New to access recent webinars, issue briefs, innovations from the field, and more.