Housing
NAMI Maryland believes appropriate treatment for persons with serious mental illness leading to recovery, resiliency and wellness cannot be realized without appropriate housing. Persons with serious mental illnesses have the right to safe, decent, and affordable housing that meets their needs.
NAMI Maryland supports housing choices for people with mental illnesses that include rental or ownership in independent living, supportive housing and group homes that include the availability of wrap-around services, other support and, when appropriate, education about maintaining living in and financing of housing. Based on individual needs and choices, living independently in the community should be given priority. Funding, services, and support should follow the person with respect to all housing choices, including housing provided by caregivers. Available, affordable housing choices should also facilitate access to education, employment, transportation, and other needs of daily living.
For immediate and emergency housing, the Homeless Shelter Directory provides information on homeless shelters and other social services throughout the country.
Stable housing options range from completely independent living to 24/7 care. The type of housing that is right for you can depend on whether you need assistance paying your bills, cleaning, making appointments or require no assistance at all. Choose a type of housing that fits your individual needs so your recovery can be your priority.
Supervised Group Housing
This type of housing provides the most support for its residents. Trained staff members are present 24/7 to provide care and assistance with things like medication, daily living skills, meals, paying bills, transportation and treatment management. These group homes provide their residents with their own bed, dresser and closet space, and shared bathrooms and common areas. This is the best type of housing for people experiencing a serious mental illness which may affect their ability to perform their daily tasks.
Partially Supervised Group Housing
Some support is provided for the residents, but staff isn’t there 24 hours a day. The residents can be left alone for several hours and are able to call for help if needed. People who choose to stay in these group homes can perform their daily living tasks independently or semi-independently, help with cooking and cleaning and may even hold a part-time job or participate in a day program.
Supportive Housing
Supportive housing provides very limited assistance. The residents of these homes live almost independently and are visited by staff members infrequently. However, they do have someone to call and resources available to them if a problem does arise.
Rental Housing
This type of housing is for someone who is completely independent. Rent can be paid for in full by the individual or subsidized by a third party, such as the government or a non-profit agency. Someone who chooses this type of housing can take care of all their basic needs like cooking, cleaning, paying bills and managing their medication. They also may have a job and have or be seeking custody of children. If this is the right type of housing for you then you will still most likely work with a caseworker to manage and maintain the different aspects of your recovery.
Home Ownership
A homeowner is able to live completely independent and manage both their responsibilities of day to day living and the responsibilities of caring for and maintaining a home. They must be able to stay in one location for longer than renters and should involve themselves in the community. A homeowner is usually someone who has a steady income, can handle their bills and can maintain taxes and insurance on their home.
Section 8
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides a number of housing assistance and counseling programs. The Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) is the federal government’s program for assisting low-income families, the elderly and the disabled. Check out the Public Housing Agency to help you find public housing using the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
HUD also helps apartment renters by offering reduced rents to low-income residents. Under this program, a renter pays 30 percent of their gross adjusted income for housing and utilities. The landlord then receives a voucher from the federal government which covers the remainder of the rent.
Section 811
The Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities Program (Section 811) is a federal program dedicated to developing and subsidizing rental housing for very or extremely low income adults with disabilities, like a chronic mental illness. The biggest difference between this program and similar ones is that it provides housing specifically for the disabled and ensures that all housing has access to appropriate supportive services like case management and employment assistance.
Housing Options in Your Area
The best place to find affordable housing in your area and learn of the type of housing that works best for you or your loved one is the Directory of Centers for Independent Living. Each is a consumer‑controlled, community‑based, cross‑disability, nonresidential private nonprofit agency that is designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities and provides an array of independent living services.
Attending a NAMI Support Group in your local area is also an incredible wealth of information where you can hear from and network with other individuals to learn about local housing resources.
Additional resources include:
This is Maryland’s Statewide Information and Referral System which provides resource information by category according to geographic area. Dial 211 or visit www.211md.org to connect with them.
HelpWhenYouNeedIt is an online service that offers a searchable directory of over 350,000 listings nationwide of private and public resources, including local mental health and substance use treatment and free clinics.
The Technical Assistance Collaborative’s website includes a state-by-state list of agencies and voucher programs.
