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Last year, lawmakers set aside the largest amount of funding in state history for housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
But the $25 million only met a portion of the need.
This year, advocates are asking Congress to do more, including $25 million more in the short term and more permanent funding sources for the future.
“We can’t keep up with demand,” said Stacey Dime, executive director of the Arc of Washington. “We don’t want to lose this momentum.”
Last year’s funding was included in the $400 million that lawmakers set aside over two years for the Washington State Housing Trust Fund, the state’s main program to fund affordable housing.
Last week, the Department of Commerce announced 73 projects that will receive support from the fund. The department said 155 units will be set up across the state, with 10 units for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Scott Livengood of Alpha Supported Living Services noted that there is a long waiting list of developers who applied for the award to build housing for people with disabilities but did not receive funding.
Until now, Congress has only funded this type of housing a few million dollars at a time, but an October 2022 study by the Department of Human Services estimates that approximately 30,000 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities 7,000 people were found to be at risk of becoming homeless. Stable housing that adequately meets their needs.
Mr Dim said previously only a handful of developers had applied to build the homes, but with this latest funding more developers were expressing interest.
Housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is often more expensive and difficult to build than other types of affordable housing, she said.
The best types of homes are single-family homes, or duplexes and triplexes, which often have accessibility features such as ramps and large doorways. Living in large apartment complexes can be difficult for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
It’s also important to live in a place where people are part of a community and have support staff who can help with grocery shopping, personal care, and transportation.
All of these factors increase the cost of constructing and providing housing, but most people with developmental disabilities rely on Social Security income of just $943 per month, much less than market-rate housing. Housing must be available at cost. For individuals.
It’s too early to tell whether lawmakers will approve additional funding this year. Lawmakers won’t know exactly how much money they can spend until the end of February, when the state Economic and Revenue Forecasting Council releases its revenue projections. After that, we plan to compile next year’s budget proposal.
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) suggested this year’s budget would be “quite restrained” and said she didn’t know how far lawmakers would go to meet the $25 million request.
Dim said he recognizes there may not be the appetite to spend as much this year.
“But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hear about pressing needs,” she says. “It takes more commitment.”
Long term financing options
Another option that Dimm said would help is a proposal for a new tax on the sale of high-value real estate.
Under this “transfer tax” plan, 25% of the revenue would be earmarked for housing construction for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The remaining money will go toward other affordable housing.
The proposal, House Bill 2276, would impose a new 1% tax on the portion of real estate sale prices over $3,025,000. It would also reduce real estate sales tax on properties sold for less than $750,000. Estimates suggest the tax would generate about $300 million in revenue every two years.
Mark Cote, executive director of Parkview Services, told the House of Commons Finance Committee last week that the transfer tax revenue would triple the amount previously available for housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He said it would be.
The bill would also set aside money for maintenance of existing homes, which Cote said is important to ensure the longevity of a property but is currently unfunded.
Sean Latham of Self Advocates in Leadership, a coalition of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, told the committee that this funding proposal is critical to maintaining the housing of people with intellectual disabilities. He said there is.
“We know it can be more difficult to find suitable accessible housing options for us in the communities we choose,” he said.
Support service details
Housing is just the first step in supporting people with disabilities, Dim said.
Once in housing, residents often require staff (sometimes full-time) and other services to help them live as independently as possible.
“Everything is interconnected,” Dim says. “Physical spaces require residential support.”
Advocates are calling for a 10% increase in fees for support services staff, based on the recommendations of the Department of Social and Health Services’ fee review report.
Support services staff often face low wages and benefits, leading to high turnover and staffing shortages, Livengood said. He added that higher fees and increased funding for education and workforce development could help the state recruit and retain more employees.
The rate hike will cost the state about $53 million, according to the report.
The Washington State Standard and Oregon Capital Chronicle are part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by a coalition of grants and donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact our editor, Bill Lucia. [email protected]. Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and twitter.
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