Housing for Disabled

Re “California’s Housing Crisis Affects Us All,” Commentary, Sept. 25: The lack of affordable housing affects the disabled population, too. Due to recent HUD program changes that allow landlords to take more from one’s SSI check, some disabled persons find that they are paying about 40% of their income ($692 per month) for housing under the Section 8 voucher program today.

There is a severe shortage of wheelchair-accessible public housing. Since the balanced-budget agreement of 1997 legislated that senior public housing no longer must be made available to disabled adults under 65, many disabled persons are ending up homeless, in nursing homes or in substandard private housing.

When new private housing developments fail to make a percentage of apartments or homes accessible, those with disabilities face the increased possibility of unwanted institutionalization or wind up homeless. When one adds on the discrimination factor--private landlords often do not want to rent to a disabled individual--we have a severe housing crisis for the disabled population.

MARTA RUSSELL

Encino