Adult Residential Care Homes

BH-8400.6000-040

Residential homes or facilities that offer personal care and individual attention for older adults, people with disabilities and other populations whose limitations prevent them from living alone. Adult residential care homes (which are also known as board and care homes, residential board and care homes, personal care homes or residential care facilities for the elderly) generally provide a room (which may be shared), meals and supervision; and may specialize in populations with specific needs such as people with Alzheimer's disease or those with developmental disabilities. Services vary from facility to facility but may include dietary and housekeeping services, monitoring of prescription medication, social and recreational opportunities, incontinence care and assistance with toileting, bathing, grooming, dressing, mobility and other activities of daily living. Some homes provide secured surroundings for confused elderly adults who may wander while others are unable to accept individuals who are incontinent or who have severe problems with memory loss. There is considerable variation among these homes in terms of size, resident mix, daily charges and services. Most but not all adult residential care homes or facilities are licensed by the state in which they are located.

Adult Residential Treatment Facilities

RM-7000.0500

Programs that provide a treatment-oriented living experience in a community-based facility for adults who have emotional disturbances and who, because of their disabilities, are unable to succeed in other placements, but who do not require inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. The service is geared to the specific needs of individual residents and their eventual return to the community as soon as their personal and social adjustment and development permit.

Assisted Living Facilities

BH-8400.6000-060

Residential facilities specially constructed or converted to combine housing and supportive services in a "homelike" environment with the goal of maximizing the individual functioning and autonomy of residents. Assisted living facilities generally have private apartment-style accommodations with walk in showers, wide doors for wheelchair access, emergency pull cord systems and other special amenities; and offer the individualized array of personal care services which will allow each resident to function as independently as possible. Services vary from facility to facility, but usually include three meals a day with special diets, as required; housekeeping and linen services; personal laundry; social and recreational activities; transportation to medical appointments, stores and community services; money management assistance; assistance with toileting, bathing, grooming, dressing, mobility and other activities of daily living; medication management and administration; therapy and pharmacy services; and wellness and exercise programs. Assisted living facilities may be licensed by the state or may not require a license depending on the area in which they are located.

Homeless Drop In Centers

BH-1800.3500

Centers where homeless people can spend time during the day or evening. Services may include counseling and/or medication monitoring on a formal or informal basis; personal hygiene supplies; facilities for showering, shaving, napping, laundering clothes, making necessary telephone calls or attending to other personal needs; and other basic supportive services. Some centers may also provide meals or facilities for cooking. Programs that focus on homeless youth may provide case management, living skills training, family reunification assistance, classes and other educational supports, pre-employment training, health education (including HIV prevention), help in obtaining valid ID and other services that help youth successfully exit street life and transition to independent living.

Homeless Shelter

BH-1800.8500

Programs that provide a temporary place to stay (usually three days to two weeks), generally in dormitory-style facilities with very little privacy, for people who have no permanent housing. Also included are programs that provide motel vouchers for people who are homeless.

Housing Authorities

BH-8300.3000

City, county, or state housing offices that provide information about eligibility for and vacancies in the subsidized housing properties that are under their jurisdiction. Housing authorities accept Section 8 applications, provide Section 8 vouchers, make approved Section 8 rental payments and administer public housing communities while in certain rural areas, the housing finance agency may play this role.

Housing Counseling

BH-3700

Programs that provide comprehensive assistance for people who want to rent or purchase housing including information and guidance about buying and rental costs; how to select affordable housing that meets individual needs; and how to provide for insurance, maintenance and other requirements related to acquiring and paying for housing.

Housing Discrimination Assistance

FT-1800.3000

Programs that provide assistance for people who believe that they have been denied an opportunity to purchase, lease or rent the home or apartment of their choice due to their age, gender, family composition (including families with children under the age of 18 and pregnant women), race or color, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation or marital status, actions that are prohibited by the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the federal Fair Housing Act Amendments Act of 1988 in the U.S. Federal fair housing law also extends limited protection to recovering alcoholics who actively and regularly participate in a medically based treatment or AA program, and people with a drug use disorder including those who have prior convictions for illegal drug use (but not for drug dealing or manufacture). Assistance may also be available to other individuals who are protected from housing discrimination by state or local laws with a broader set of protected categories, or which cover properties that are exempt from federal fair housing laws but are protected under state law.

Housing Expense Assistance

BH-3800

Programs that pay current housing bills or finance new living accommodations for people who are otherwise unable to provide for their housing needs. Housing expense assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Housing Search Assistance

BH-3900.3100

Programs that assign a staff member to assist people who are looking for housing to survey the available residences and to choose and obtain the most suitable option.

Independent Living Communities/Complexes

BH-7000.5100-330

Residential facilities, apartments and/or planned communities for older adults, people with disabilities or other populations that are available at market rates and designed to enable those who are eligible to have a form of independent living in a secure environment while sharing common interests and having access to supportive services and a range of activities designed to promote social contact among residents. Occupancy by families with children may be discouraged. Housing varies widely from simple apartments to high rise condominiums to single family detached housing to housing in a congregate setting; and units may be available on a purchase or rental basis. Support usually consists of "convenience services" which may include an on-site activities program, transportation, housekeeping and meals in a communal dining room. Residents who require additional support need to make their own arrangements for personal care, home health care or other in-home services. These facilities generally require no licensing.

Low Income/Subsidized Rental Housing

BH-7000.4600

Housing programs that make rental housing more readily available to homeless people and/or low-income individuals and families (those below 50% of the area's median income). Some complexes or housing units may be reserved for low-income older adults, people with disabilities and/or other special populations.

Relocation Information/Counseling

BH-3900.7000-750

Programs that help people who have to relocate due to urban renewal, redevelopment, conversion, or demolition of condemned housing and who are eligible for relocation services evaluate their options.

Residential Mental Health Treatment Facilities

RM-7000

Programs that provide a therapeutic living environment in community-based facilities for individuals who have emotional and/or behavioral problems and require a structured, supervised treatment program which may include individual, group, family and other treatment modalities as appropriate, but who do not require inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.

Section 8/Rental Assistance Program Rental Listings

BH-3900.3050-750

Programs that maintain lists of available rental housing that is owned or managed by individuals who have agreed to accept tenants who have Section 8 certificates from the local housing authority or finance agency, or rental assistance certificates from other federal, state or locally funded rental assistance programs. Included is information that is available online, in print or in other formats.

Senior Housing Information and Referral

BH-8500.8000

Programs that maintain information about retirement residences, residential care facilities and nursing homes, and link older adults who are looking for alternative living options with appropriate independent or supervised living resources.

Sexual Assault Shelters

BH-1800.1500-800

Programs that provide temporary emergency shelter for women who have been victimized by rape and/or other forms of sexual assault. Such facilities usually provide in-house individual, group and significant other counseling and the full range of other secondary services related to sexual assault including referral to appropriate resources.

Street Outreach Programs

PH-8000

Programs that are staffed by outreach workers who spend time with people who live on the street, build relationships with them, identify and address their immediate needs (e.g., crisis intervention, food, clean clothing, hygiene kits, blankets, someone to listen) and provide information about and linkage to longer-term forms of support such as shelter, counseling, drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation, care/case management and, where applicable, family reunification services. Street outreach programs may be staffed by volunteers or peers who were formerly homeless; and may target special populations such as homeless youth at risk for sexual abuse or exploitation, veterans, or people with specific medical or mental health conditions, or be available to the larger homeless population.

Supported Living Services for Adults With Disabilities

PH-3300.8030

Programs for adults with developmental disabilities, sensory impairments, physical disabilities, emotional problems or multiple disabilities who do not require 24-hour supervision that provide a highly individualized, coordinated system of services and supports which facilitates their ability to live in their own homes or apartments, to hire and supervise paid caregivers, to work in the community, to participate in community activities and to interact with nondisabled neighbors. A supported living agency may help the individual hire and supervise an attendant; develop a budget and pay bills on time; learn to shop and cook or hire someone to prepare meals for them; remember to take necessary medication; schedule medical appointments and get to the doctor's office; advertise for and select a roommate; make their living space barrier-free; learn about relationships, sexuality and parenting; select recreational pursuits that are personally satisfying; and accomplish other similar activities of daily living.

Transitional Housing/Shelter

BH-8600

Programs that provide extended shelter and supportive services primarily for homeless individuals and/or families with the goal of helping them live independently and transition into permanent housing. Some programs require that the individual/family be transitioning from a short-term emergency shelter. The length of stay varies considerably by program. It is generally longer than two weeks but typically 60 days or more and, in many cases, up to two years or more. The supportive services may be provided directly by the organization managing the housing or may be coordinated by them and provided by other public or private agencies. Transitional housing/shelter is generally provided in apartment style facilities with a higher degree of privacy than short-term homeless shelters; may be provided at no cost to the resident; and may be configured for specialized groups within the homeless population such as people with substance use disorders, homeless mentally ill, homeless domestic violence victims, veterans or homeless people with AIDS/HIV. In some cases, a "transition in place" option allows families to continue living in the same complex (if not the same unit) where their transitional housing unit is located when they are ready to move to permanent housing. In other cases, the permanent housing option is either public housing or private rental housing supported by a tenant-based voucher subsidy. Included are post-domestic violence shelter housing programs that make affordable rental housing (or other accommodations) available to women, generally those who are coming directly out of a domestic violence shelter or other crisis shelter, often in apartment complexes owned by the shelter; and programs that provide transitional housing and support services for other targeted groups such as military and veteran families and others who need a temporary supportive living environment to maintain stability and begin to thrive.

Veteran Home Loans

BH-3500.3400-900

Programs that assist veterans who want to purchase or construct a home by issuing GI loans which feature moderate interest rates, no down payment, a long repayment period, and the right to pay all or a portion or the loan in advance without penalty.