Supportive Housing
Supportive Housing is affordable rental housing for people with very low incomes and disabilities (or multiple barriers to community living) PLUS the social/health services (including behavioral and physical health) that they want and need to succeed in the community.
Supportive Housing is not intended for every population that needs access to affordable housing. The threshold of need for supportive housing is higher than the simple need for affordable housing.
Section 811 Project Based Rental Assistance Program
The Section 811 Project-Based Rental Assistance Program is a supportive housing for persons with disabilities program within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program assists the lowest income people with disabilities to live independently in the community by providing affordable housing linked with voluntary services and supports (Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports or State Plan Services).
More than $18M has been awarded to the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and its' partners (the Department on Aging, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Human Services) that will make affordable and available more than 900 units around the state.
Eligibility for Section 811 PRA
- Williams Class Action Lawsuit Class Members
- Colbert Class Action Lawsuit Class Members
- Ligas Class Action Lawsuit Class Members (ICFF-DD residents and those selected from the PUNS list for services)
- Money Follows the Person participants
- Persons moving from State Operated Developmental Centers to the community
- Eligible to receive Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) or State Medicaid Plan Services
- Incomes at or below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI)
- Aged 18-61 only
Project Based Rental Assistance
Affordable housing properties funded by the Illinois Housing Development Authority in communities of preference for the eligible populations are asked to participate in the Section 811 program.
A portion of the units within an affordable housing development are "set-aside" to receive Section 811 Project-Based Rental Assistance.
The Rental Assistance is assigned to a unit/property, NOT an individual. The tenant receives the benefit of the assistance while they live in the unit but if they choose to leave the property, the rental assistance stays with the unit.
The eligible tenant pays 30% of their adjusted gross income towards the rent and the Section 811 Project-Based Rental Assistance pays the difference between what the tenant can pay and the rent amount.
Statewide Referral Network (SRN)
The Statewide Referral Network (SRN) links vulnerable populations who are already connected to services, to affordable, available, supportive housing. It is managed by the Statewide Housing Coordinator in the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Human Services. Social Service Providers assist eligible households to get their name on the waiting list (by using the PAIR module). The waiting list manager verifies eligibility and when a SRN unit becomes eligible matches the eligible waiting list participants with the unit.
Eligible SRN supportive housing populations include persons with disabilities, persons experiencing homelessness and persons at-risk of homelessness. In addition, a person or family must have income at 30% of Area Median Income or below.
Consumer Access To Section 811 and SRN
Case Managers, Care Coordinators, Housing Locators, Transition Coordinators and other staff assisting potentially eligible persons to move from an institutional setting to the community or working with persons with disabilities, at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness place interested person on the on-line waiting list using the Pre-Screening, Assessment, Intake and Referral (PAIR) module within the www.ILHousingSearch.org housing locator website.
The Section 811 & SRN Waitlist Manager matches eligible persons to available properties.
Comments or Ideas
Lore Baker
Statewide Housing and
Employment First Coordinator
Lore.Baker@Illinois.gov
o. 217.782.6865
c. 217.299.4502
Jeri Bond
Section 811 & SRN PAIR Administrator
Jeri.Bond@illinois.gov
o. 217.557.3095
