Ability Housing

People with disabilities who rely on SSI as their sole source of income continue to be the nation’s poorest citizens.

A lack of adequate housing is a serious obstacle to a decent life for anyone. It can be particularly troublesome for people dealing with disabilities, for whom the physical and emotional stresses of a lack of decent shelter are added burdens for people already doing their best to deal with difficulty. This group of individuals are a key focus of Ability Housing’s efforts due to the cost of rent to income increasing for this group over 62% since 1998. This gap in income to rent is leaving many unable to live on their own or in substantard environments, leading to poor life quality, increase in health issues and dependency on the governement.

To fully communicate this crisis, several leading agencies have published research findings highlighting the need and causes. Many of the findings are referenced on this page, with the full publication and source of the informtion in the following link. “Priced Out 2008”.

Summary Findings & Trends:

In 2008, the annual income of a single individual receiving SSI payments was $8,016 – equal to only 18.6 percent of the national median income for a one-person household and almost 30 percent below the 2008 federal poverty level of $10,400.

SSI as a % of Median Income 1998 SSI = 24.4% of AMI 2008 SSI=18.6% of AMI Housing Cost as % of SSI 1998 1-bedroom costs 69% of SSI Efficiency costs 58.5% of SSI 2008 1-bedroom costs 112.1% of SSI Efficiency costs 99.3% of SSI Represents 62% increase

Causes and Implications:

Escalating Rents are Unaffordable in All Places. There is not one state or community in the nation where a person with a disability receiving SSI payments can afford to rent a modest – not luxurious – one-bedroom or efficiency housing unit. On average across the nation, people with disabilities must pay 112.1 percent of their monthly income to rent a modest one-bedroom unit.

Lack of Income Fuels Ever Deeper Poverty. SSI payments have not kept pace with the cost of basic human needs. In 2008, the national average income of a person with a disability receiving SSI was $668 per month or $8,016 annually – equal to only 18.6 percent of the national median income for a one person household. That level of income was almost 30 percent below the 2008 federal poverty level of $10,400 for an individual.

The Geography of the Crisis is Large and Expanding. In 1998, there were 44 housing market areas, across 13 different states, where a person with a disability needed to pay more than their entire monthly income for housing costs. Ten years later, 219 housing market areas, across 41 states, had modest one-bedroom rents higher than monthly SSI.

The Hidden Housing Crisis. The consequences of the high cost of housing for people with disabilities are both obvious and hidden. The visible face of the housing crisis affecting people with disabilities is homelessness. A twenty-five city homelessness survey conducted in 2008 by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that people with mental illnesses represented 26 percent of the homeless population, 13 percent were people with physical disabilities, and 13 percent were veterans.