On July 27, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced new funding for Mainstream vouchers for people with disabilities. In Maryland, three public housing authorities received new Mainstream voucher funding, including the Howard County Housing Commission, the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County and the Housing Authority of Washington County.
Nationwide, $23 million in funding will provide 2,391 housing vouchers that will make community living affordable to low-income people with disabilities. An additional $13 million nationwide will provide financial assistance to public housing authorities and their partners to support housing search and navigation, fund landlord engagement and cover other move-in costs. The announcement came on the 32nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act.
Funding awards in Maryland include:
Howard County Housing Commission: $404,622
Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County: $826,644
Housing Authority of Washington County: $71,729
“Navigating streams of funding can be difficult for families that are looking for affordable housing for people with disabilities,” said Maryland Inclusive Housing (MIH) executive director Tim Wiens. “MIH is committed to helping these families understanding which of these forms of funding will help them the most. We applaud HUD for increasing funding opportunities in this area.”
Mainstream vouchers are tenant-based vouchers that serve households that include non-elderly persons with disabilities age 18 to not yet 62. A qualifying person with a Mainstream voucher can search for housing that meets their needs and that rents for an amount that is within federal guidelines.
The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County Housing Path waitlist is accepting applications. The waitlist application can be accessed here. It is important to indicate that the applicant is a person with a disability. It is also important to list a secondary contact person to better ensure that the applicant attends to any notices received from the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County.
The voucher waitlist for both Howard County and Washington County are closed at this time. If either of these waitlists opens, MIH will post information on how to access the waitlist application.