“Making Homes Work” better for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
SAN JOSE – Ahead of its annual fundraising event, Bay Area Housing Corporation (BAHC) has received a matching grant from Santa Clara County to support its Making Homes Work program. The program provides home modifications for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities, enabling them to stay in their homes as family support systems or their health care needs change.
“Making Homes Work removes housing barriers, literally and figuratively, for individuals in our I/DD community by allowing them to stay in the home they may have grown up in, and near their community of support,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who proposed County support. “By making necessary modifications to a family home, families and caregivers can rest easier about their loved one’s future housing situation.”
Approximately 80 percent of Santa Clara County residents with I/DD live in their family homes. Those homes may no longer work for individuals’ daily lives as they age, but many individuals with I/DD want to continue to live with dignity and comfort in their family’s home. Physical modifications are often needed to make their home safe and comfortable. Examples of accessibility modifications include installing ramps, remodeling bathrooms, or improving wheelchair access by opening spaces, hallways or widening doors.
“We recognize that people with I/DD have few housing options,” said Kris McCann, Executive Director of Bay Area Housing Corporation. “The cost of housing in Santa Clara County for the size of a home required for a specialized licensed home averages $2.4 million dollars. Once the costs of rehabilitation of the home and long-term maintenance are added, the expense for opening a new specialized residential home becomes prohibitive.”
Through its Making Homes Work program, BAHC plays a unique role in making accessibility modifications to current homes. The program includes an intake evaluation of the home and a proposed scope of work; securing necessary approvals; gathering and evaluating estimates from vendors; determining who will pay for the modifications (family and/or landlord, San Andreas Regional Center, or BAHC’s Una Casa Mas Fund); formalizing the contract with selected vendors; and completing the work.
“Through ‘Making Homes Work’ BAHC will offer much needed options for people with I/DD and their families that are not available through other organizations such as making modifications to their current residences. In addition, for people with I/DD and their families who cannot afford the cost, BAHC will offer the Una Casa Mas Fund as a resource to pay for a portion or all of the modifications at the home,” said Mark Mikl, Executive Director of Charities Housing.
BAHC created the Una Casa Mas Fund to provide needs-based funding for the construction costs of the necessary accessibility modifications. In the last two years, BAHC has raised $160,000 for the Una Casa Mas Fund. The County grant funding will be restricted to the Una Casa Mas Fund and require a 1:1 match, resulting in $500,000 in needs-based funding being made available and a minimum of 50 individuals with I/DD, their families, and caregivers in Santa Clara County receiving funds to make necessary accessibility modifications in their homes.
“I’m delighted that we continue to find ways to support housing challenges for people and families in the I/DD community,” said Simitian. “From entirely new housing efforts like Mitchell Park Place in Palo Alto to small but meaningful home modifications across the County, we are working together on solutions that provide continuity and create a more inclusive community.”