Apartments Made Affordable by Government Funding:
Low Income Housing Tax Credit and other state-funded multi-family communities get special funding from the government to build affordable housing. The homes are typically apartments and can be rented by people with income that is between 20-60% of Area Median Income. Depending on your income and other resources, you may be able to afford to rent one of these apartments without a rent subsidy.
Project/Unit Based Assistance Programs
Project and unit-based rent subsidy programs provide rental assistance to qualifying people in a unit/apartment that participates in the rent subsidy program. The rent subsidy is tied to the apartment. During the time a participant lives in the subsidized apartment they benefit from the rent subsidy. However, if they decide to move to a different apartment community, they cannot take the rent subsidy with them.
Information on project-based subsidy programs is provided below. The first three programs listed below, including the HUD 811, Weinberg Apartments and Community Choice Homes programs, are solely for people with disabilities. The waitlist for these programs is managed by the Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD). The waitlist is web-based and qualifying people can only be added to the waitlist by their case manager or HSS specialist. If you are interested in applying to the waitlist, ask your HSS specialist/case manager to contact the Maryland Department of Disabilities at housinginfo.mdod@maryland.gov
Maryland HUD 811 Project Rental Assistance
The Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Program makes a home in the community affordable for people with disabilities with low income. This is a “project-based” rental assistance program. You will have rent payment assistance while you live in units that have this rent subsidy.
The program enables you to receive the services and supports you need in an affordable home, giving you the independence of living on your own. You sign the lease and have access to the supports you choose. With Section 811 Project Rental Assistance the tenant pays 30% of their income for rent and utilities, and the program pays the rest of the rent directly to the landlord.
Who is Eligible?
You may be eligible for Maryland HUD 811 Project Rental Assistance if you
- Are a person with a disability as defined by HUD.
- Are 18 or older but under age 62 at the time of leasing. Participants are able to continue in the program after reaching age 62.
- Are a Medicaid recipient.
- Have very low income.
- Are eligible for long-term supports and services in Maryland.
- Do not have a criminal background that includes a lifetime sex offense registry requirement.
- Do not have a criminal background that includes conviction of the production of methamphetamine on Federally-assisted property.
Participants are strongly encouraged to participate in long-term supportive services that meet their individual needs. Participation in supportive services is not a requirement of tenancy.
How are Applicants Prioritized?
The program prioritizes applicants as follows:
- People transitioning from an institution to the community.
- People at risk of institutionalization due to their housing situation, I.e., homebound, substandard housing conditions.
- People moving to independent renting from a DDA Community Pathways waiver group home; Brain Injury waiver ALU; BHA Residential Rehabilitation Program; or receiving Community Options waiver services in a MDH-Licensed Assisted Living Facility.
- People who are Homeless (as defined by HEARTH Act) in this order:
- Actually homeless.
- Imminent risk of homelessness.
- Homeless under other Federal statutes (i.e. unaccompanied youth/families w/ youth).
- Fleeing domestic violence.
How to Apply:
Contact your HSS specialist or case manager, who will complete the pre-screening and application for you.
Weinberg Apartments Program
Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation’s Affordable Rental Housing Opportunities Initiative for Persons with Disabilities (Weinberg Apartments Program).
The Weinberg Apartments Program is the result of a partnership between The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and the State of Maryland created to provide affordable rental housing options for persons with disabilities. Designed to build upon the strengths of the Foundation and the State’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC), this initiative seeks to increase accessible, affordable and independent housing opportunities in the community.
Who is Eligible?
In order to qualify for the Weinberg Apartments Program, an applicant must:
- Have a disability.
- Be between the ages of 18-62 at the time of leasing. Participants are able to continue in the program after reaching age 62. Currently receiving SSI or SSDI.
- Have a gross household income at or between 10-30% of AGMI (Area Gross Median Income) in the Maryland county in which they wish to reside.
- Not have a criminal background that includes a lifetime sex offense registry requirement.
- Not have a criminal background that includes conviction of the production of methamphetamines in Federally-assisted property.
These criteria are subject to additions or modifications. This list should not be considered comprehensive or all-inclusive. Applicants are drawn from the Waiting List as units that meet their needs become available.
2020 Weinberg Apartments Target Population
Apartment units funded under the 2020 Weinberg Apartments Program Initiative are targeted to the following populations:
- Transitioning youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities between 18-35 years of age, who are living with aging caregiver(s) in a group home setting or transitioning from permanent supportive housing.
- Individuals or families who are homeless.
- Youth aging out of foster care, who have a disability and homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Participants are strongly encouraged to participate in long-term supportive
services that meet their individual needs. Participation in supportive services is not a requirement of tenancy.
How to Apply:
Interested applicants must be referred by their HSS specialist or caste manager, using the MDOD web-based waitlist. Contact your HSS specialist or case manager, who will complete the pre-screening and application for you.
Community Choice Homes
This program is a partnership between the Maryland Department of Disabilities and the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC). Community Choice Homes (CCH) provides affordable rental homes in Montgomery County for people with disabilities who have extremely low income.
The Program will provide 30 HOC-owned rental units for people with disabilities for a period of 15 years (CCH units). This is a project-based affordable housing program, and the affordable rents are tied to the CCH units. Participants cannot take the rent subsidy with them if they leave a CCH unit.
Participants will pay 30% of their monthly household adjusted gross income for rent and utilities while living in a CCH unit. There is no application fee or security deposit requirement for the CCH program. In addition, HOC will pay for moving expenses up to a maximum of $2,000.
Priority for referral will be given to applicants on the Maryland Department of Disabilities Weinberg Apartment waitlist who live or work in Montgomery County at time of referral or previously lived or worked in Montgomery County within the last five years and are currently living outside of Montgomery County in an institution or group home; indicate an interest in living in Montgomery County; and meet CCH program eligibility, income, and referral criteria. As needed, MDOD will use the HUD 811 Project Rental Assistance waitlist to make referrals to the CCH program.
Who is Eligible?
The eligibility requirements for the Community Choice Homes Program are as follows:
- Household income at or below 30% of area median income (AMI).
- Income must include cash payment from either SSI or SSDI at the time of initial eligibility determination. Applicants with suspended eligibility for SSI are also eligible.
- Adults, age 18 to 62 at the time of leasing. Participants are able to continue in the program after reaching age 62.
- Current registration on the HOC Housing Path Waitlist.
- Lives or works in Montgomery County at the time of referral or lived or worked in Montgomery County within five years of referral and currently lives outside of Montgomery County in an institution or group living setting.
- Criminal background does not include lifetime sex offence registry requirement or conviction of production of methamphetamine on federally assisted property. Criminal background must also meet other HOC eligibility requirements.
Participants are strongly encouraged to participate in long-term supportive services that meet their individual needs. Participation in supportive services is not a requirement of tenancy.
How to Apply:
Contact your HSS specialist or case manager, who will complete the pre-screening and application for you.
Project-Based Section 8 Vouchers
Project-based vouchers (PBVs) are a component of a public housing agency’s (PHA’s) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV – Section 8) program. The PHA uses its Housing Choice Voucher funding to allocate project-based units to a specific project. Projects are typically selected for PBVs through a competitive process managed by the PHA; although in certain cases projects may be selected non-competitively.
A PHA can use up to 20% of its authorized vouchers for project-based units in a specific project if the owner agrees to either rehabilitate or construct the units, or the owner agrees to set-aside a portion of the units in an existing development. In certain cases, the PHA may use an additional 10% of its authorized voucher units for PBV assistance. Information as to whether a PHA manages the PBV program may be found by contacting the local PHA.
Application for these units is done at the apartment community.
Housing for the Elderly – HUD Section 202:
HUD provides capital advances to finance the construction, rehabilitation or acquisition with or without rehabilitation of structures that will serve as supportive housing for very low-income elderly persons and provides rent subsidies for the projects to help make them affordable.
The Section 202 program helps expand the supply of affordable housing with supportive services for the elderly. It provides very low-income elderly persons with options that allow them to live independently but in an environment that provides support activities such as cleaning, cooking, transportation, etc.
HUD provides interest-free capital advances to private, nonprofit sponsors to finance the development of supportive housing for the elderly. The capital advance does not have to be repaid as long as the project serves very low-income elderly persons for 40 years.
Project rental assistance funds are provided to cover the difference between the HUD-approved operating cost for the project and the tenants’ contribution towards rent. Project rental assistance contracts are approved initially for three years and are renewable based on the availability of funds.
Public Housing
Public housing is housing that is owned by HUD and managed by a PHA. The Public Housing Development program provided Federal grants to local public housing authorities (PHAs) to develop housing for low-income families that cannot afford housing in the private market. HUD has not provided new funding for public housing development since FY1994. Public housing provides affordable housing for low-income families comprised of citizens or eligible immigrants. “Family” is defined as a family with or without children, elderly family, near-elderly family, disabled family, displaced family, the remaining member of a tenant family or a single person. In general, people pay 30% of their income for rent and utilities.
For information on public housing in Maryland, visit the PHA website in your area.