Maryland Inclusive Housing Corporation’s mission is to help people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) successfully access and maintain inclusive, affordable, and accessible housing of their choice by creating opportunities, identifying resources, connecting people and providing services.
People with IDD want to live in their own homes. They want to have a say in who they live with and where they live. Separating housing from residential and support services is a stated goal of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA).
This movement of services away from provider-owned or -controlled group homes to living arrangements in which the individual owns or rents his or her own home is motivated by two major forces in the IDD field of services. The first is the philosophy of self-determination advocates for individuals and their families to have control over their lives—and this includes housing.
The second force is the changing policy of Medicaid, which has recently published community-based settings that require individuals who receive Medicaid-funded Home and Community Based Services to be given services in settings which do not isolate the individual from the larger community. Although group homes will continue to exist under these rules, they encourage the movement toward supported living arrangements where the person receiving services rents or owns the home.
If service provider-owned or -controlled group homes are not viable housing options for the future, what are the affordable and accessible housing options for people with IDD? This is the problem that MIH proposes to address.
To facilitate the creation of housing committees in regions or counties throughout the state
To employ Community Living Coordinators (CLCs), who would work as housing case managers for individuals who are receiving DDA services or are on the DDA waiting list.
To be a housing information clearinghouse for DDA, to serve individuals with IDD and their families and for CCS workers and service providers.
At the request of Bernie Simons, Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), in January of 2018, the Maryland Supported Living Advisory Committee was formed. In December of 2018, the committee produced a report for Secretary Simons with a recommendation to form a new nonprofit organization to advance affordable and accessible housing, separately owned from services. Secretary Simons accepted this recommendation and asked the committee to implement this and other recommendations. Maryland Inclusive Housing Corporation is a result of this work.
Respect people as they are, without judgment; presume competence, have high expectations and recognize each person’s choices, talents and values.
MIH understands affordable and accessible housing resources at the state and local levels. Our organization is committed to using those resources to help people.
Provide accurate, relevant and timely information to people with IDD, their families and other stakeholders and facilitate informed choice. Provide resources which make sense for the individual.
Pursue new housing resources, partnerships and approaches, utilizing an open mind, active listening and a futuristic outlook. Have a curious mind, pursuing partnerships and novel ideas. Be nimble, flexible and open to change.
Treat all people with respect, honor dignity of risk and an individual’s authority to make their own life decisions. Honor choices, decisions and a person’s authority over their own life.
MIH has engaged the Center for Leadership and Innovation (CLI) to help us develop a strategic plan to ensure that as we expand and grow our company we are aligned with our mission and vision. This strategic plan will help us define our direction for the foreseeable future.
MIH actively works to build partnerships with people with IDD, families, relevant state partners, affordable housing advocacy groups, self-advocacy groups, service providers, developers, expand typical partnerships and find ways to collaborate and share resources to strengthen systems.
MIH educates people with IDD and their families, service providers and developers about how to create and access affordable, inclusive and accessible housing. MIH will provide training to professionals in this evolving area of work. MIH will advocate for additional resources to support more affordable, accessible housing and more housing support services.
Through education, advocacy, partnerships and support services, MIH promotes communities where people with and without disabilities live together and where people with IDD are active participants in their communities. Inclusive communities are defined by considering separation of ownership and services, density of people with disabilities living together and access to services.