Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, Esq.
Q. Your Vision for Housing for People with Disabilities: Tell us what you have done and would do to make housing for people with disabilities more accessible and more affordable in Prince George’s County?
A: I will collaborate with our federal elected representatives, Maryland Inclusive Housing, and the Arc to advocate for federal housing laws and regulations that protect and improve housing for people with disabilities. My administration would also provide financial assistance to low-income older adults and people with disabilities to help them afford decent quality housing (although this may be tight because of our coming budget gap).
I would also collaborate with our developers to do two things. First, build or modify existing housing to enhance accessibility. Second, my administration will lead the way in collaborating with developers on universal design along with the policy changes we can make on a county level to create inclusive communities.
Q. Mainstream Housing Vouchers: Prince George’s County has faced challenges in securing HUD mainstream vouchers to support individuals with disabilities. What steps would you take to address these issues, and how would you ensure the county submits competitive applications in the future?
A recent study by the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that people with disabilities face a variety of challenges in searching for housing. They exhibit difficulty securing services and supports before their voucher expires, navigating the housing search process and overcoming screening requirements, accessing reasonable accommodations or necessary modifications that exceed what a landlord is required to provide, and covering moving and initial living expenses. HUD recently released new policy guidelines that create new alternative requirements and waivers that enable public housing agencies (PHAs) to better utilize Mainstream Vouchers to help persons with disabilities transition from and avoid institutional settings.
My administration would sit down the HUD’s regional administrator and the Maryland State Department of Housing and Community Development to construct a plan using these new guidelines to make housing affordable and accessible to the community.
Q: Settlement Agreement Compliance: As you may know, the county remains under a settlement agreement with Disability Rights Maryland due to past discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public housing. While some progress has been made, there are ongoing obligations, such as creating accessible units. How would you prioritize meeting these commitments?
A: The Housing Authority of Prince George’s County remains under a Voluntary Compliance Agreement (VCA) reached with HUD in June 2020. Under the terms of that agreement, HAPGC agreed to:
- Ensure that at least 5 percent of its PH, PBV, and Mod Rehab units are fully accessible, and at least 2 percent are designated sensory accessible.
- Hire an independent licensed architect to evaluate and design the accessible retrofitting of existing units and common areas.
- Work with disability-rights organizations to recruit landlords with accessible units into the HCV program.
- Set up a $200,000 compensation fund for HCV, PBV, Mod Rehab, and PH participants who were denied reasonable accommodations.
- Create a $200,000 modification fund for its HCV program to pay the costs for tenants who need reasonable accommodations and modifications.
- Appoint a VCA coordinator and a Fair Housing Compliance Coordinator during the 7-year term of the agreement.
- Develop policies pertaining to non-discrimination and accessibility, reasonable accommodations, effective communication, transfers, and assistance animals and post the policies on its website; and
- Ensure that all HAPGC staff attend annual fair housing training. When my Administration takes office, I will ask the Executive Director for an immediate audit on the status of the agreement and a report on what has been done. Once I receive that report, my administration, along with HAPGC, will work with your organization and Disability Rights Maryland to make this right.