Are you looking for housing or a home for your adult son or daughter?
There is a difference.
As parents, our biggest concern is usually about housing and who will care for our children when we cannot be there. That is why it is important to ensure your child is signed up for long term services & support. Yes, there are long waiting lists (AKA “interest lists) for care. At a minimum, make sure they have Supplemental Security Income (SSI) which automatically comes with Medicaid and Community First Choice attendant care.
Let’s think about what your son or daughter want too. Our children have grown up being able to eat what they want, go out in community, attend faith based services and activities, have their own bedrooms/bathrooms, or shop with family. Those things don’t always happen in group homes which may be understaffed. There will be “group” activities based on availability of staff and transportation.
You may need to think about other options to suit your child’s wants/needs. People with disabilities have choices when deciding on residential settings…not just in where they live, but with who they live with. It’s about creating a “home,” not just a place to live.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid call this the “Settings Rule”. It is baffling that we must have “rules and regulations” to allow people to live where they want and with whom…something we take for granted every day.
Funding for housing is an issue. Saving money in an ABLE account or Special Needs Trust may be the best way to fund those private pay options.
Sometimes it takes parents working together to build an option. If one child has waiver support and another does not, can two friends move into a place together and pool resources? It will take creativity. Technology may replace on site support. Success will depend on the trust established by the families involved.
Housing Resources:
All resource links open in new tabs.
Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services:
- Home & Community Based Services – Learn what you can and cannot do with Medicaid funding when it comes to housing
- Supporting Adults with IDD and their Aging Caregivers
TX Health & Human Services
- Transition Plan April 2022 Home and Community Based Services
- Texas Dept of Housing and Community Affairs
- Texas HHSC Long Term Care Provider Search – Search for Group homes, ICFs/IDD facilities
US Dept of Housing & Urban Development – Information for individuals with disabilities
Innovations in Housing for People with Intellectual Disabilities – a report compiling innovative solutions around the country
Empowering Ability – Housing Blog with videos on a Better Way to Think About Housing, Supportive roommates, insights on creating a Home for people with IDD, etc.
My Housing Support Plan – Downloadable Workbook to create a plan for housing (while it is from Ontario, lots of good information)
Texas State Affordable Housing Resources
Texas Housers Low Income Housing Information Services
Disability Rights Texas Housing Help and Know Your Rights
Volunteers of America Housing Assistance
The Arc of the US – Policy and Advocacy
Houston Housing Choice Voucher – Possible opportunity to use housing choice vouchers for low income apartments (Harris County)
Houston Health Department Housing Navigation Services
Getting Creative: Models for Filling the Housing Gap – Good article plus important ways to use Special Needs Trust for home purchase.