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Housing Out of Reach For Many With Disabilities
By Shaun Heasley, Disability Scoop, June 20, 2011, http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/06/20/housing-out-of-reach/13372
 Renting an apartment is increasingly too pricey for Americans with disabilities, according to a study out Monday showing that the cost of a one-bedroom apartment exceeds the average Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefit.
In a report from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities and the Technical Assistance Collaborative, researchers compared average monthly SSI payments in 2010 with the fair market housing rate for small apartments in cities across the country as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They found deep disparities between income and cost of living for those with disabilities.
"Simply stated, in 2010, there was not one state or community in the nation where a person with a disability receiving SSI could afford to rent modest rental housing without a permanent rental subsidy," the report found.
Single SSI beneficiaries qualified for an average of $703 monthly last year. But at the same time, the national average to rent a studio apartment was $695 while a modest one-bedroom apartment ran $785.
Even in South Dakota where the report indicates housing was the cheapest, renting a one-bedroom apartment still accounted for 70 percent of the average SSI payment.
The findings of the biannual report titled "Priced Out" reflect a dramatic change since the first such analysis was conducted in 1998. At that time, the cost of renting an apartment equaled 69 percent of the average SSI benefit, but by 2010 that number grew to 112 percent.
"This study makes it crystal clear why vulnerable people with disabilities become homeless or are unable to move out of high-cost institutional settings," said Ann O'Hara of the Technical Assistance Collaborative who co-authored the study.
O'Hara and her colleagues estimate that as many as 1.2 million people with disabilities live in homeless shelters, public institutions, nursing homes and other unsafe or segregated environments.
What's more, they say 700,000 adults with disabilities are living with parents ages 65 or older, in part due to their inability to afford a place of their own.
The Buzz: Issue #2 Volume 3
An Interview with Interviewers
 Recently Hope House Foundation began the process of including individuals we support in the interview process. While some individuals supported were already helping to facilitate second interviews at service locations, they were not yet assisting with facilitating initial interviews at the administration office. Larry Guynn, one of four interviewers who were selected from the many applicants, provided the following answers regarding his position:
Why do you want to interview people who want to be your staff? I want to know who will work with me, if they are nice, and if they will help me with things like my laundry.
What do you tell people who are interviewing to be new staff? I like to tell them about my day so that they understand who I am and then I like to ask about their day.
What do you enjoy most about interviewing new staff? I like to meet the new people who could be working with me in the future.
One of HHF's Hiring Directors shared her perspective on including individuals we support in the interview process:
In what ways do individuals we support participate in the hiring process? Different individuals we support participate in different ways. Some individuals participate fully and we take turns asking potential employees questions. Typically, they stick to the format of the interview, but they are open to asking questions or providing additional information.
What reactions have you noticed from potential employees to having individuals we support present in the interviews? Most individuals are respectful and respond directly to whoever asks the questions, however, I have been able to weed out individuals who provide their responses solely to me.
How has having individuals we support participate helped the hiring process? It adds a fresh perspective to the hiring process and I hope that it shows that we value the opinions of the individuals we support.
Matthew Fine Fund
A Passion for Fine Arts.
 His father Andrew is a trustee and long-time supporter of the Chrysler Museum. His brother Jeffrey directed the critically acclaimed indie film "Cherry." And he's an award-winning sculptor.
It's safe to say that Matthew Fine and his family have a passion for the arts. But Matthew is also a long-standing member of Hope House's Board of Directors, as well as its recent past President. And he's as passionate about the people we support as he is about the arts.
From the start, Matthew embraced our vision of people with disabilities living, working, and playing in their own community. As President, he helped develop activities with our teams that give our board members a deeper understanding of the people we support. He makes impromptu visits to people at their homes, often bringing his dogs along for the ride. And he promotes self-advocacy through his involvement with the Our Voices committee.
To honor of his extraordinary efforts on our behalf, as well as his accomplishments as an artist, the Board has established the Matthew Fine Fund for the Arts. The Fund will help the people we support pursue creative self-expression through the medium of their choice — be it painting, photography, singing, dance, or playing a musical instrument.
To find out more about the Matthew Fine Fund for the Arts, or to enhance the life of someone we support through your gift to the Fund, contact Elena Montello at 757-625-6150 x507 or emontello@hope-house.org.
What does Home mean to You?
“Where hope abounds: Acrostic
Hope abounds nowhere like home,
Overpowering as a toddler's grasp,
Moving the hardest hearts like an avalanche.
Everyone who knows home, knows hope.”
—Adam Curtis, Local Poet
“A home is an emotional connection to self. Beyond granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, a home is defined by safety, inclusiveness, connection and many other emotions.”
—Bob Batcher, Director of Development, City of Norfolk
“Home is where you are most comfortable being yourself...”
—Kimberly Enesey, Team Leader, Hope House Foundation
“My home makes me feel independent, makes me responsible, gives me privacy, makes me feel safe, let's me close the door on what's happening on the outside! I'm very comfortable in my home and that's the way everyone should be.”
—Renee Rogers, Facebook Friend of Hope House
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