The disabled community deserves fair and equal access to housing, regardless of their ability to work or earn an income. Housing is a basic human right that is also supported by our Biblical call to care for the poor.  

The book of Isaiah speaks for housing and against arbitrary displacement: 

“They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat” Isaiah 65:21-22 

Yet currently, many of the 71 million Americans with disabilities are being left behind by current housing policies. Approximately 18 million adults with disabilities qualify for federal housing assistance but are not receiving it. The stark reality is that over 3.9 million non-elderly adults with disabilities who rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) — with a maximum federal benefit rate of just $967 per month — cannot afford housing in any U.S. rental market. Without appropriate intervention, millions are forced into institutional settings, homelessness, or unstable and inaccessible living arrangements. 

Department of Housing & Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 811 Program is the only federal program solely dedicated to creating affordable, accessible, and integrated housing for non-elderly disabled individuals. Section 811 PRA (Project Rental Assistance) is delivered via state partnerships, but limitations persist—many states and territories remain unfunded, and awards are capped at $8 million per state.  

That is why we must call on Congress to fully fund all renewals of Section 811 PRA and Project-Based Rental Assistance Contracts (PRACs) and expand its capacity to secure affordable housing for our disabled siblings across the country. This would include $424 million for new Section 811 PRA awards, with a minimum of $8 million allocated to every state and territory. We must also call on Congress to allow the use of PRA funds for access modifications, security deposits, damage coverage, HUD system participation costs, and service coordination; expand eligibility to two-person households where both receive SSI and their combined income falls between 30–50% of Area Median Income (AMI); and direct HUD to incentivize integrated housing models in the allocation of PRAC funds. 

Defend the right to fair and equal housing for all. Tell Congress to fund Section 811 housing!