Housing Advocacy

The planning and financing of affordable housing is quintessentially a local government activity, yet most local elected officials know little about their residents with developmental and other disabilities. Local and regional leaders often assume – mistakenly – that disability-serving organizations, such as Regional Centers, have both the responsibility and the resources to house people with developmental and other disabilities when they are at risk of losing their housing. In reality, these disability-serving organizations usually operate with highly restrictive funding from the Medicaid waiver program that may not be used to pay for the cost of rental housing.

Housing Choices is committed to educating local elected officials, city and county housing staff, and housing developers about the opportunity to plan for and include people with developmental and other disabilities in their local housing plans. We support and promote the voices of people with developmental and other disabilities and encourage them to become effective self-advocates. Along with our clients, their parents, and other members of the community, we frequently attend and testify at City Council and other relevant meetings with the goal of creating cities and neighborhoods which are inclusive of people with developmental and other disabilities.