U.S. housing prices shot up 18.8% in 2021<\/a>, the highest calendar year increase in 34 years of data. Residential rents typically follow home prices, and this past year was no exception. This January\u2019s average rents were 15.2% higher than last January\u2019s. Rents skyrocketed<\/a> in 48 of the 50 biggest U.S. metro areas. The highest jump? Portland, Oregon, at +39%.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What\u2019s behind the current housing crisis? 2022 housing problems are not much different those in the past: It\u2019s still a matter of supply and demand. In Oregon, that issue is exacerbated by an influx of people moving to the state. Yes, still: Oregon\u2019s popularity may have waned slightly, but in 2021, we ranked 8th<\/sup> in the top ten most inbound states<\/a>. And though you might think the pandemic would have kept people from moving, it had the opposite effect: 56% of Americans moved in 2021 as compared to 35% in 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Added to the influx of newcomers is another issue: \u201cLuxury\u201d housing is replacing homes with modest prices and rents, creating a lack of affordable housing solutions. According to Housing Oregon<\/a>, 250,000\u00a0families in Oregon need affordable housing. There are only\u00a0143,000\u00a0units available. And you\u2019re plain out of luck if you need Section 8 housing. Home Forward (Oregon\u2019s Housing and Urban Development (HUD) chapter) has not allowed new applications for Section 8 since 2016.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The lack of affordable housing solutions hits people with disabilities especially hard. Why? \u201cPeople who experience disabilities, particularly those we serve (at ALSO) don’t have the ability to generate income as readily as people who don’t have disabilities,\u201d says Julie Leahy, ALSO\u2019s Chief Financial Officer. \u201cA lot of the people in our support rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as their main source of income, which right now is $841 a month. HUD\u2014the Housing Authority\u2014says that a home is affordable when it\u2019s 30% or less of someone\u2019s monthly income. I did that math: If someone is on SSI, their rent should be around $252. That level of subsidy isn’t even out there except in Section 8.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Since Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is based on a person’s work history, it can provide more income than SSI\u2014but not enough. The average disabled-worker benefit in February 2022 was about\u00a0$1,359 a month<\/a>. If they were to pay a third of their income for rent, it\u2019d be $408 a month. The average cost for a one-bedroom apartment is Portland is $1,499.\u00a0<\/a>And there is another problem. People who get Social Security benefits (both SSDI and SSI) can earn some money, but not much. At a certain limit, the Social Security Administration deducts $1 for every $2 in income earned. \u201cWe’re not talking about people making $30 an hour,\u201d says Julie. \u201cIt’s very difficult for people experiencing disabilities to go out and get a job in the first place, let alone make enough money to afford an apartment.\u201d There\u2019s an additional barrier for people living on SSI. \u201cOne of the hardest things is the asset limit,\u201d says Julie. \u201cThey cannot have more $2000 in assets every month\u2014cash or a second vehicle or anything that\u2019s countable. That makes it difficult to save up for a security deposit. To save up for anything really. The whole Social Security system is kind of designed to keep people from having too much money, but when you combine that with a system where there’s not enough housing\u2014let alone affordable or low-income housing\u2014you\u2019re not leaving people with many options.\u201d Read more about Social Security disability benefits here<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What are<\/em> the housing options for Oregonians with Intellectual\/Developmental disabilities? People with I\/DD receiving services in Oregon basically have two options:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Unfortunately, the first option is often unavailable due to the lack of affordable housing. \u201cI believe that there are plenty of people in 24-hour residential care that would be better suited for supported living or even living in their own homes, but they don\u2019t have housing. It\u2019s \u2018bring your own housing,\u201d says Julie. \u201cWe give people as much choice as we can in our residential services but there’s only so much we can do. These are adults. Maybe they don\u2019t need or like direct support professional staff there all the time, or don\u2019t want a roommate. They\u2019re in a service they are kind of forced into because they can’t afford their own place.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A similar issue may arise for adults living in their family homes. \u201cThey might prefer to be in supported living, but they have to live with their parents,\u201d says Julie. \u201cIf they had their own household, they could have more choice about the services they’re being provided, but they can’t afford their own place because they’re on SSI and there just aren\u2019t any other options. This really bothers me.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWe thought about switching some of our residential homes to supported living and renting them out, but we realized that being both people\u2019s service provider and their landlord could create an issue,\u201d says Julie. \u201cIf someone was living in an ALSO home, but wanted to receive services from a different agency, they\u2019d lose their housing. That’s not really giving them a choice.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That\u2019s why ALSO decided to create a separate nonprofit: ALSO Home. \u201cIt’s not easy to open a nonprofit affiliate in the middle of a pandemic,\u201d says Julie. \u201cThere are a lot of things in the works. Right now we\u2019re in the process of applying for funding for a low-income housing complex that would have units set aside specifically for people who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities. It would not be exclusively for people with disabilities because we want it an inclusive community.\u201d In other words, ALSO is taking action. \u201cWe\u2019re not just talking about the problem and complaining about the problem and taking bites around the problem but tackling the housing crisis head on by actually creating more housing.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat About Affordable Housing for People with Disabilities?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The Unseen Effects of the Lack of Affordable Housing on People with I\/DD<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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ALSO\u2019s Mission to Create Affordable Housing for People with Disabilities<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n