Texans with disabilities pay twice the percentage of their income in rent compared to the average Texan.
SOURCE:
WWW.TACINC.ORG/PUBS/PRICEDOUT
Goal: Texans with disabilities who have limited incomes will have access to affordable, accessible and integrated housing.
Problem: Access to affordable, accessible and integrated housing is one of the biggest hurdles for people with disabilities who want to live in the community. Like other Texans with limited incomes, Texans with disabilities face few housing options and lengthy waiting lists for most rental assistance programs. The lack of housing options puts this population at a higher risk of institutionalization, at a much higher cost to us all
Recommendation: The Texas Legislature needs to increase housing options for extremely low income households, including people with disabilities.
Background: Affordable housing is often beyond the reach of Texans with disabilities. The creation of additional accessible, affordable and integrated housing opportunities for Texans with disabilities whose income is at 50 percent or below the area median income is needed.
The main source of income for many Texans with disabilities is Supplemental Security Income (SSI), currently $674 for a single person per month. Persons with disabilities, who receive SSI as their only income, pay a disproportionately higher percentage of their income for housing.
Most federal, state and local funding for housing goes to the development of housing at rental rates above the affordability standard for people at this income level.
The current waiting list for most rental assistance programs is two to three years.
Increased funding for the Housing Trust Fund could help to support more programs to address the need for integrated, accessible and affordable housing for people with disabilities.
Justification: Funding affordable housing makes economic sense for Texas. When low-income Texans with disabilities are unable to find affordable housing, their risk of institutionalization increases, resulting in costs that far exceed affordable housing rent subsidies.