People with disabilities can apply for Section 811 supportive housing, mainstream vouchers for non-elderly disabled households, accessible units in public and subsidised housing, and Housing Choice Vouchers with a disability preference. Under fair housing law you can also request reasonable accommodations and modifications from any landlord. Start with your Public Housing Agency and your state's disability or developmental services agency.
How it works
The short version, before the detail.
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities funds rental assistance in buildings that integrate people with disabilities with other residents, typically with services from state agencies. Referrals often come through state health, Medicaid or disability agencies.
Mainstream vouchers are Housing Choice Vouchers set aside for non-elderly people with disabilities, often prioritising those leaving institutions or at risk of institutionalisation or homelessness.
Public housing and subsidised buildings must have accessible units, and people who need them can request priority for those units. Many PHAs give a preference to applicants with disabilities.
The Fair Housing Act requires most landlords to make reasonable accommodations - changes to rules or policies, such as allowing an assistance animal or a designated parking space - and allow reasonable modifications, such as grab bars or ramps. In federally funded housing, the housing provider may have to pay for modifications.
SSI and SSDI recipients often qualify for income-based housing, and Medicaid home and community-based services can provide support at home.
A reasonable accommodation request does not need special wording or a legal form. It can be made orally or in writing, though writing is better for your records. Explain that you have a disability, what change you need, and how it relates to your disability. A landlord may ask for reliable verification of the disability-related need when it is not obvious, often a brief letter from a health professional, but may not ask for your diagnosis or medical records.
Common accommodations include allowing an assistance animal in a no-pets building, assigning an accessible parking space, allowing a live-in aide, transferring to a ground-floor unit, giving extra time to pay rent when benefits arrive late in the month, or sending notices in large print. Modifications are physical changes such as grab bars, ramps or widened doorways. In private housing, the tenant usually pays for modifications; in federally funded housing, the provider often must.
If a landlord refuses a reasonable request, ignores it, or retaliates, you can file a complaint with HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity or your state fair housing agency, generally within one year. Local fair housing organisations can help investigate and file.
Who usually qualifies
Factors the agency looks at. Only they make the final decision.
Disability definitions differ between programmes. A Social Security disability award usually suffices as proof.
How to apply, step by step
Contact your PHA
Ask about mainstream vouchers, disability preferences and accessible units.
Contact your state disability or Medicaid agency
Ask about Section 811 referrals and community transition programmes.
Apply to accessible subsidised buildings
Use HUD's search and ask about accessible units.
Request reasonable accommodations
In writing, explaining the disability-related need.
Know your rights
File fair housing complaints if refused unlawfully.
Connect to services
Medicaid home and community-based services can support independent living.
What to have ready
Missing one item is rarely a reason to wait - start now.
- Proof of disability - SSI/SSDI award or provider letter
- Photo ID and Social Security number
- Proof of income
- Accommodation request letters
- Any institutional discharge plans
What happens after you apply
How it compares
Similar programmes, and which one fits which need.
| Programme | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Section 811 | Integrated supportive housing | People with disabilities needing services |
| Mainstream voucher | Voucher for non-elderly disabled households | Leaving institutions, at risk of homelessness |
| Accessible public housing | Accessible units, income-based rent | Mobility or sensory needs |
| Reasonable accommodation | Changes to rules or units | Any rental, including private |
Real situations
How this plays out for people in common circumstances.
Leaving a nursing home
A 45-year-old wants to move out of a nursing home.
A state transition programme connects him to a mainstream voucher and home care services.
Needs an assistance animal
A tenant with anxiety needs an emotional support animal in a no-pets building.
She requests a reasonable accommodation with a provider letter.
Wheelchair user offered upstairs unit
An applicant is offered a unit without a lift.
She declines citing disability and requests an accessible unit.
Grab bars needed
An older tenant with a disability needs bathroom grab bars.
He requests a modification; in federally funded housing the provider may pay.
Benefits arrive after rent is due
A tenant on SSDI receives her payment on the third Wednesday of the month, after rent is due on the 1st.
She requests a reasonable accommodation to change her rent due date, explaining the link to her disability benefits, and the landlord agrees.
What people miss
True, rarely explained, and it changes the outcome.
Accommodations apply everywhere
Most private landlords must consider them.
Declining for disability reasons is good cause
Your place should be protected.
Live-in aides can be approved
As an accommodation.
State agencies hold 811 referrals
Contact them directly.
Assistance animals are not pets
Pet fees and restrictions generally do not apply.
Common reasons people get stuck
Not putting requests in writing
Written requests create a record.
Only using general lists
Ask about disability-specific programmes.
Not providing documentation
A simple provider letter often suffices.
Accepting unlawful refusals
File a fair housing complaint.
Missing services
Housing works better with support.
How it differs by state
Section 811 is run with state agencies, so availability depends on state partnerships. Medicaid waiver services and transition programmes also vary.
Key terms explained
The words on forms and letters, in plain English.
- Reasonable accommodation
- A change in rules, policies or services needed for a person with a disability to use and enjoy housing.
- Reasonable modification
- A physical change to a unit or common area, such as a ramp or grab bars.
- Assistance animal
- A service animal or emotional support animal that a person with a disability needs; not treated as a pet under fair housing law.
- Section 811
- HUD's Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities programme.
- Mainstream voucher
- A Housing Choice Voucher reserved for non-elderly people with disabilities.
- Fair Housing Act
- The federal law prohibiting housing discrimination, including on the basis of disability.
Questions people ask
What housing is available for people with disabilities?
What is Section 811?
What is a mainstream voucher?
What is a reasonable accommodation?
Can a landlord refuse an emotional support animal?
Who pays for disability modifications?
Can I get housing on SSI?
Can I have a live-in caregiver in subsidised housing?
How do I file a housing discrimination complaint?
Can I get priority for an accessible unit?
What if I am in a nursing home and want to move out?
What should a reasonable accommodation letter say?
Can a landlord charge a pet deposit for an emotional support animal?
How long does a landlord have to respond to an accommodation request?
Can I get help paying for a wheelchair ramp?
Can I be evicted because of my disability?
Does SSDI or SSI count as proof of disability for housing?
Can I apply for housing for people with disabilities if I have a mental illness?
Numbers to call
Free lines. We are not affiliated with any of them.
Official sources
Current figures and applications live here.