FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UPDATED – March 15, 2023
ST. LOUIS, MO – Renters with disabilities often experience higher rates of housing insecurity due to a lack of affordability and accessibility. Most live on an extremely low income further hindering their ability to qualify for and pay soaring rent costs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded $24.7 million to public housing agencies (PHA) across the country to transition 2,210 families with non-elderly disabled persons into permanent housing with reasonable accommodations in integrated communities.
The awards were made possible by the CARES Act through HUD’s Section 811 Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Program. This program offers critical funding to PHAs to assist non-elderly disabled persons who are transitioning out of institutional or other isolated settings, at serious risk of institutionalization or homelessness to independent living. Of the 98 PHAs to benefit, the St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) received $343,074 for 50 Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), the largest allocation in the state, and an additional $3,500 to cover extraordinary administrative fees, including supporting the housing search and leasing up of eligible applications, as well as easing costs related retention, recruitment, and support of participating owners.
“These vouchers will be issued to eligible families that are currently on SHLA’s HCV waiting list. This grant will allow us to provide homes to 50 deserving individuals and families, who otherwise would have limited options for safe and affordable housing,” explained St. Louis Housing Executive Director Alana C. Green.
HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said in a recent announcement: “People with disabilities deserve access to affordable housing that meets their needs. [This] funding is an important step forward – one that will help more persons with disabilities serve as fully integrated members of their communities and allow them to live independently and with dignity.”
The SLHA currently has administered over 7,000 housing vouchers to more than 20,000 residents. The agency commits to collaborate with its partners to assist in the placement of eligible residents.
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