BOISE - The Accessibility Improvements Program—a new source of grant funding to help persons with disabilities make their homes easier to live in—will be launched at a news conference July 19 (Wednesday) at 11 a.m. at the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, 565 W. Myrtle, Boise.

The Accessibility Improvements Program (AIP) is intended for persons who are unable to afford accessibility modifications on their own or obtain other types of assistance for completing the necessary work. The maximum grant is $5,000 with funding available to eligible tenants and home owner households with at least one member with a disability who would benefit from modifications being made to the housing unit. The household income must be below 80 percent of the state median income.

The following speakers are tentatively scheduled to discuss how tenants or home owners with disabilities can apply for funds:

• Ernest Bennefield, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Kelly Buckland, State Independent Living Council
• Julie Williams, Idaho Housing and Finance Association

AIP is sponsored by HUD and administered by IHFA. Funding for the program is provided through settlement agreements between HUD and respondents to complaints regarding possible violation of provisions of the Fair Housing Act with respect to standards for housing accessibility.