Financial Support for Housing

This document lists some resources for individuals who are blind or have low vision to consider when seeking financial support for housing costs.

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Financial Support for Housing

This document lists some resources for individuals who are blind or have low vision to consider when seeking financial support for housing costs. These resources do not include information about supportive living communities. For this information, were commend you seek out your State Centers for Independent Living.

Federal Housing Programs

The ARC (thearc.org) mentions three Federal Housing initiatives:

Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program Section 811 is the only Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program dedicated to producing affordable, accessible housing in the community for non-elderly, “extremely low-income (at or below 30 percent of Area Median Income)” people with significant disabilities.
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers HUD’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program helps low-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities afford rental housing in the private market.
National Housing Trust Fund The National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) is a new, dedicated fund that provides grants to states to build, preserve, and rehabilitate housing for people with the lowest incomes.

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness who have income and resources below specific financial limits. Please note the SSI recipients can work and receive SSI. Find more information at: https://www-origin.ssa.gov/ssi/

Rural Housing Program

The USDA’s Rural Housing Service rd.usda.gov offers a variety of programs to build or improve housing and essential community facilities in rural areas.

State Housing Programs

ABLE accounts enable people with disabilities to have savings accounts while receiving benefits like SSI. According to ableforall.com, ABLE accounts can be used for housing expenses if the person with the account is eligible for SSI.

The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) website, https://www.ncsha.org/housing-help/, highlights the housing finance agencies (HFAs) for each state. HFAs provide financing to make the purchase, development, and rehabilitation of affordable homes and rental apartments for low- and middle-income households possible.

Resources Specific to College Students

For college students, Forbes has an article that explores Using Student Loans for Housing Expenses. This article reviews student loans but also recommends:

Grants, which are needs-based. You can find more information about Federal Grants, like the Pell Grant, at studentaid.gov.
Scholarships, which are merit-based. Scholarships can vary by state and by institution. The American Federation of the Blind outlines Scholarships for students who are blind or have low vision.
Work income, including work-study while in college. Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired highlight organizations and resources for job seekers who are blind or have low vision.
Asking for help. If your relatives or support systems have the means, consider asking them to help with covering some of your housing costs while you are in college.

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