State and federal tax resources building homes for those with disabilities

[April 14, 2023]  By Zeta Cross | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Thousands of people with disabilities in Illinois dream of living independently, but they can’t afford housing.

Too many people with mental health disabilities end up living on the streets because market rate rents are so high, Gus van den Brink of Sertoma Centre in Alsip told The Center Square.

“Stable housing can give people with mental illness and other disabilities the foundation they need to take care of themselves,” van den Brink said.

Thanks to nearly $39 million in federal and state taxpayer funding, Sertoma and four other groups are building five new affordable housing projects for Illinois’ vulnerable populations. The funding was awarded through the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s Permanent Supportive Housing Development Program.

Residents with physical challenges or mental health needs, veterans, people at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable populations will be able to apply for 100 units of new, safe, affordable housing.

Sertoma Centre is building the Hamlin Avenue Apartments, a 25-unit building in Alsip, for people with mental and physical disabilities.

“The need for housing is tremendous,” van den Brink said. When Sertona opened the online application process for their 16-unit Union Avenue building in Orland last year, they received 500 applications in three days, he said.

“We stopped taking applications when we got 500 because that is already too many to be able to reach the end of the list,” he said.

Adults with mental health disabilities can wind up stuck in back bedrooms, watching TV all day or living on the streets because their parents have gotten very old, or their relatives are unable to take them in.

“Families get fatigued,” van den Brink said. “They struggle to get services and they struggle under the strain.”

With a place to live and some modest support services, many people with disabilities can take care of themselves, get jobs and contribute to the community, van den Brink said.

To be eligible for the new apartments, individuals cannot make more than 30% of the area median income. In Alpin, that is about $17,400 a year. The tenants are required to pay income adjusted rent equal to 30% of their income.

In a stable home, a person with a serious mental illness or a person with substance abuse is much more likely to remain in recovery from their mental illness or to overcome their addiction, van den Brink said.

“Without a place to call home, it’s very, very difficult to live day to day and just find enough food,” van den Brink said. He encourages people to try to encounter people with disabilities to find out what their lives are like.

“People have so many preconceived notions,” he said. “If things are going well for you, find out what it is like for people with disabilities who are just trying to get by.”

Van den Brink invites people with loved ones who have mental and physical disabilities to contact the Sertoma Centre website for advice and resources.

“Give us a call. We know a lot about the systems and where to go to get services,” he said. “Compared to 20 years ago, there is a lot of support out there. It does not ever seem to be enough, but there is so much more than there used to be.”