By Gordon Homes, CFP | By Mary A. Houser, Ed.D.
Housing Options
for Adults with Disabilities:
Then & Now
Today in the United States there are approximately 61 million individuals living with some kind of disability*. These disabilities vary greatly from mild to severe and impact each individual differently. Examples of disabilities include physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder to name a few. Some adults with disabilities live their lives independently, while others need varying levels of support to be successful. One consideration that has become a central focus in recent years is: Where do individuals with disabilities live during their adult years? This article examines several housing options currently available to adults with disabilities. Housing for adults with severe disabilities extends back to the mid-1800s to the institutional care model (i.e. psychiatric institutions or facilities). Adults with disabilities were housed in these establishments because they were viewed as incapable of living in their own communities. It was common practice for medical doctors to advise family members to put their disabled loved ones in such institutions. They were not desirable places to live, however. Conditions were harsh, overcrowded, and filthy. They often failed to meet even the most basic needs of their residents. Although these institutions remained in existence for quite some time, a shift to the current community living model came about primarily as a result of families wanting a better life for their loved ones. The community living model suggests that all individuals with disabilities live in the community of their choosing, as a person without a disability would, and not in an institution or facility. Over several years, activists from the Independent Living Movement organized an end to the segregation that these individuals had been experiencing with an institutional reform known as de-institutionalization. From the 1960s to the 1980s activists fought to create viable housing options for disabled individuals once their parents are no longer living. (Housing Options for Adults with Disabilities: Then and Now, by Mary A. Houser, Ed.D.). Now, an adult with a disability may own a home and it will not be counted against their eligibility for benefits, known as “home exclusion,” as long as the home is their primary residence. In this arrangement, the disabled adult will typically have a support person living with them to help with their daily needs. Adult Foster Home (Adult Family Care) In an adult foster home, the individual with a disability lives with a family other than their own, that has been trained to provide the appropriate supports needed for their daily living. Examples of supports include bathing, eating, transferring and mobility, and housekeeping. Adult foster homes are usually managed by an agency or a private provider. Independent Living The person with a disability lives independently in a home or an apartment, and might even have a roommate. In
36 Special Needs Living • October 2021
