BOISE - The Accessibility Improvements Program—a new source of grant funding to help persons with disabilities make their homes easier to live in—is now accepting applications, the Idaho Housing and Finance Association announced during a news conference today.

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. Fair market value for the home cannot exceed the purchase limits for IHFA’s Residential Lending program. 

"This initiative is the result of a partnership effort among a number of groups," said IHFA President and Executive Director Gerald Hunter. "We’re pleased that, in working with HUD, the Intermountain Fair Housing Council and the statewide network of independent living centers, we developed an effective program to help people with disabilities have accessible housing."

AIP is sponsored by IHFA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. [HOTLINK] 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.

"Affordable, accessible housing is important to HUD," added Ernest Benefield, senior federal investigator for the agency. "We’re hopeful that AIP will be an important financial resource for persons with disabilities. We commend IHFA and their partners for creating this unique program that will benefit so many Idahoans."

Three independent living centers have partnered with IHFA to implement the program statewide: Disability Action Center Northwest (north Idaho), Living Independence Network Corporation (southwest Idaho) and Life, Inc. (eastern Idaho). Each will accept and forward applications to IHFA, provide technical assistance to applicants and perform inspections of the work done with program dollars.

Krista Kramer with the Disability Action Center Northwest spoke of the direct benefits AIP will provide to persons with disabilities. "Once a person is disabled, his access to the world shifts dramatically. So many people become imprisoned at home and banished from the world by physical barriers," she said. "We’re just thrilled about the ease with which we will now be able to make funds available to help them. Now we can say ‘We’ve got an answer.’ We’re so thankful to everyone who made this possible."

Renter applicants are required to obtain their landlord’s acknowledgement that they have been notified of the renter’s intent to make modifications to the unit. According to the Fair Housing Act, landlords may not refuse reasonable requests to make modifications to meet their needs. However, they may require renters to deposit funds into an escrow account to be used to restore the unit to its former condition after the renter moves out. AIP funds may be used toward this escrow deposit.

Applicants must be able to document their disability needs and income eligibility, as well as submit a description of the work to be completed and estimate of costs involved. IHFA will reserve funds on a first-come, first-served basis and notify the applicant directly when they have been approved for the grant. Upon verification that the work has been completed satisfactorily, IHFA will issue the funds to the applicants for payment to the contractors.