Tony Sampson loves his life. Every morning, he takes a bus from his home in downtown Silver Spring to his full-time job in Aspen Hill. He lives in a modern apartment close to shops, restaurants, recreational areas and his family.
Before moving to his current apartment, Tony, a man in his 50s with a developmental disability, lived in a group home. He had a desire to live on his own, so Tony moved out of the group home and rented a basement apartment. When the homeowner decided to sell the house, Tony was left without a stable place to live.
That’s when MIH stepped in to help Tony. He was referred to MIH Housing Support Services (HSS) to find a more stable housing option. MIH Community Living Coordinator Tierra Medley worked with Tony, showing him different rental assistance programs and helping him apply.
One of these programs was the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) Rent Subsidy Program, a new tenant-based voucher. This voucher lets Tony pay only 30% of his income toward rent. It is funded by DDA and because it is not tied to a specific property, Tony could use it to find a place that fit his needs. Since Tony was receiving DDA services, he could join the waitlist for this subsidy.
“Tony is great at speaking up for himself,” said Tierra. “He knew he needed a more stable living situation. We worked together to find the best place and made sure his team (support broker and CCS) was involved to give him the right support.”
Tony was selected from the DDA Rent Subsidy Program waitlist in June 2024. Tierra helped him complete the paperwork and search for a suitable home. They looked at several apartments before finding the right one in Silver Spring, so Tony could easily commute to work. Four months later, Tony moved into his new apartment. Tierra also helped him get financial support for his moving costs.
“The DDA Rent Subsidy Program came at just the right time,” Tierra added. “Tony was in a really tough spot. He didn’t have a lease and was paying month-to-month. There was no protection for him as a tenant.”