VCILs Home Access Program:

1
VCILs Home Access Program A Vermont
Partnership Presentation for the Housing
Symposium Universal Design and Access
Modifications June 30, 2004
Deborah Lisi-Baker, Executive Director Vermont
Center for Independent Living
2
Mr. and Mrs. Cummings needs have already
extended the thinking of architects who
originally could not conceive of putting windows
at wheelchair eye level. The architect did not
want to sacrifice the aesthetic design. Mr. And
Mrs. Cummings did not want to either but they
did want to be able to see out of the
window. (1978 Project Outreach, a statewide
survey of Vermonters that led to the creation of
the Vermont Center for Independent Living)
3
The Vermont Center for Independent Living is a
statewide disability rights and services
organization founded by Vermonters with
disabilities in 1979. We define disability as a
social issue. Our goal is to promote dignity,
independence, and civil rights for all Vermonters
with disabilities. Our core services include
statewide toll-free information services,
individual and group peer advocacy services, a
Youth Leadership Forum, educational workshops on
disability and independent living issues, and
state and national policy for disability rights
and services. We also operate direct service
programs that fund home modifications, assistive
technology, and other services that promote
independence.
4
VCIL has 32 staff and a budget of about
2,000,000 a year. About 1/3 of our funding is
used for specific assistance such as ramps and
bathrooms, kitchen adaptation, adaptive
communication aids, and Meals on Wheels for
people under 60. Our Home and Community Access
Program staff includes the program manager, Sarah
Wendell a funding specialist, Kim McCarty and
administrative assistant, Joyce Werntgen. Jim
Ross is our access consultant, and we have a
network of builders contractors we work with
throughout Vermont. The program also oversees our
community access training project and our Access
Expo and helps staff the Vermont ADA Coalition.
5
1982 -2004

• VCIL began providing housing information
  services and entry and bathroom modifications
  about nineteen years ago through a partnership
  with Vermont Samaritans (VSAM), an ecumenical
  social justice organization founded by the United
  Church of Christ. Their belief in our work and
  early financial support was instrumental in
  helping us start this program.
• Later the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust
  Fund took over VSAMs role. Their ongoing
  commitment has been key to the growth and
  development of this program. About four years ago
  the Vermont Department of Aging and Disabilities
  began funding our Home Access services through
  Act 160, Vermonts shift the balance funding
  which uses Medicaid nursing home savings to pay
  for services for home and community-based
  services.

6
Key partners today include the Vermont Housing
and Conservation Board, the Vermont Legislature,
the Department of Aging and Disabilities, and a
network of nonprofit housing and service
organizations throughout the state. Two regional
United Ways and a Vermont bank also sponsor Home
Access Program (HAP) activities.
7
Due to high demand and funding limitations HAP
has focused on entrances and bathrooms and
related structural work. VCILs Sue William
Freedom Fund helps pay for kitchen adaptations
and home adaptations that support independence.
Our AmeriCorp partnership with VHCB Stewardship
Program supports a training and service Program
in two Vermont schools. Children help staining
and building ramps and VCIL oversees projects and
provides disability awareness program in
participating schools.
8
HAPs Core Services and Strategies

• Individualized information, peer support, and
  technical assistance for individuals with
  disabilities for both design and funding
• Stable partnerships with policy makers, housing
  programs, and funders
• Highly respected staff and access consultant with
  significant expertise in ADA, Fair Housing and
  state access laws.

9
Building Capacity Through Partnership
VCILs annual Access Expo offers training and
contact with other venders, providers, and peers.
As a result Vermont has a growing network of
skilled builders that do not just work for
VCIL. In 2003, VCIL sponsored the first
Universal Design Conferences educate contractors
and venders, architects, realtors, local
planners, and state policy makers on independent
living principles and accessibility law and
practices. Other partners include Fannie Mae
Foundation, VT. Housing Finance Agency, Adaptive
Environments, and AARP.
10
Paying for Home Accessibility
State Funding for staff, access consultants and
direct services from the Vermont Housing and
Conservation Trust Fund, the Department of Aging
and Disabilities, Community Development Block
Grants, two United Way organizations, and
individual and business donations for actual
building costs (contractor costs and building
materials for eligible Vermonters). Total funding
for specific assistance is about 350,000 in FY
2004. Leveraging assistance from other sources
VCILs (new) funding specialist helps individuals
and families leverage additional funding and
services from municipalities, long term care
financing programs, the VA, and lending
organizations. Since 2002 Kim McCarty has
leveraged an additional 150,000 to help pay for
individual projects.
11
Paying for Home Accessibility, continued
VCIL now receives 300,000 from VHCB (funded
from the states property transfer tax) as well
as 20,000 in HUD Home Funds from VHCB to help
nonprofit developers with accessibility costs.
To be eligible for building funds from HAP,
applicants must have an income at or below 80
the HUD median income. Most HAP applicants
require grants rather than loans but many are
unaware of programs and services they are
eligible for. Funding Specialists and other VCIL
staff help them identify other services/sources
of funding.
12
Challenge Disability as Special Interest
When we started this work in the early1980s,
housing developers, low income advocacy groups,
and state housing organization saw disability as
a special interest constituency competing for
Vermonts limited housing funds. We built a long
term partnership with the Low Income Advocacy
Council, the Affordable Housing Coalition, the
Vermont Housing Council, and VHCB to develop a
shared belief in the importance of the Home
Access Program and other accessibility
initiatives. Ongoing involvement in development
and changes to the states Consolidated Plan for
Housing and Economic Development has helped shift
public policy toward accessibility.
13
Challenge Need Far Exceeds Resources
The program started in early 80s with 65,000
grant from Vermont Samaritans and has grown to
have a budget of about 450,000 and is able to
leverage another 100,000 or more in match from
other sources. Average project cost is
7,500. Despite this success the program waiting
list runs between two and three years. The HAP
Sustainability Study noted that the program would
need a budget of 2,000,000 a year to meet
projected demand. VCIL is exploring other ways to
access state and federal funds, mortgage and loan
services for Vermonters at different income
levels. We also help Vermonters leverage home
ownership loans and AT funding from the USDA and
the Vermont Development Credit Union.
14
Challenge Program has been dependent on one
time legislative and special project funds.
From the beginning VSAM and VCIL treated program
development as a social justice and public policy
initiative rather than a special project for the
disabled and began identifying and gaining new
partners and funding sponsors. VCIL worked with
legislators to craft language for the state
appropriations bill that would expand state use
of CDBG funds for accessibility in housing and
economic development projects. The HAP
Sustainability Study called for by the
legislature also allowed us to frame the public
policy, financing, and demographic issues driving
the need for an inclusive life span approach to
home accessibility.
15
Challenges Statewide Strategies
Funding levels must be stable to retain skilled
staff and consultants Most of our contractors
are small business owners who will take other
jobs if we are not able to offer regular work
during the Vermonts short building season. Old
housing stock means that the costs of renovations
are higher. We are expanding our use of temporary
and portable ramps and related devices and
promoting planning for accessible entrances,
adaptability and universal design in new
housing. Partnerships with municipalities and
housing developers for CDBG funding and other
projects are time intensive. As a statewide
organization we cannot be a direct applicant for
these funds.
16
Challenge My neighbor built my ramp but I cant
seem to get up it. or My accessible bathroom
just fell into the cellar.
Do It Right! It is important to have some
procedures to ensure that the design and
construction of home modifications is accessible,
architecturally sound, and usable. We have
experienced staff and access consultants review
and approve every project. For usable design,
listen to and observe individuals in action in
their own homes. Ask them about their lifestyle.
Home modifications do not have to meet state and
federal standards for public buildings but they
have to be safe and usable by the individual or
family they were designed for.
17
We have a very experienced access consultant, Jim
Ross, who oversees each project and signs off on
all plans before they are funded. In addition,
especially with new contractors, follow-up calls,
project evaluation with the individual or family,
and site visits are done to ensure that the
construction follows the approved design.
18
Challenge Sponsors would rather pay for ramps
than staff and operating costs.
Initially, VCIL used our core federal funding to
cover staffing and operating costs. Then VSAM and
then VHCB agreed to cover ongoing staffing and
operating costs so VCIL could focus on services,
program development, and expansion. United Way
and other small but essential partners were able
to see their funds targeted for services in their
communities. Sponsors begin to value investment
in staff and operations when you can document the
impact and accomplishments achieved by funding
staff and operating costs dollars leveraged,
local families served, money that goes back to
targeted areas of the state, benefits of
faithbased, housing and school partnerships to
Vermont.
19
Challenge We built it and nobody came. or I
can get around in my house but I cant get
anywhere else.
Dont forget and dont let home seekers,
planners, housing developers, and policy makers
forget that housing, transportation and economic
development are intrinsically linked and must be
built into any effective planning for
independence, employment, and community
participation. Key vehicles and partners for
getting the message across local planning
commissions, transit planning organizations and
sessions, hearings and advisory meetings on State
Consolidated Plan for Housing and Economic
Development, etc., disability, senior and low
income advocacy groups.
20
Challenge Providers referring individuals to HAP
for funding that they are entitled through
through waivers, VA programs, and other
disability services. Two years ago part of the
funding VCIL received from the Department of
Aging and Disabilities was used to pay for a
funding specialist. This position is now part of
our ongoing operating budget sponsored by VHCB.
Started as a half time position and now at 75
FTE. We also worked with the state to build HAP
into approved Medicaid waiver benefits and we do
individual and systems advocacy when a funding
source resists paying for covered services.
21
Funding and Policy Goal Shifting public policy
and financing away from special needs housing
and toward life span planning and accessible
communities...from segregated projects to
adaptability, visitability, and universal design.
22
Both the HAP Sustainability Study and a recent
demographic analysis (including future
projections) by the Vermont Department of Aging
and Disabilities has helped point out the need
for sustainable development of accessible housing
and community design. We were able to gain
reform of VTs CBDG program to include an
accessibility fund to help towns and regional
consortiums (housing developers and municipal
partners pay for home accessibility modifications
in their municipality or region.) This lessened
the tension between general housing development
and the commitment to accessibility.
23
Nothing About Us, Without Us.
Housing and community development go hand in
hand. It is essential to influence both housing
and community development. Both citizen advocacy
and systems reform are called for. We help peers
participate in local and legislative action, and
we have a story bank to collect their
experiences and recommendations. In addition,
VCIL is a mandated member of the Vermont Access
Board which oversees requests for variances and
monitors implementation of VT access laws. We
also serve on the committee which oversees the
Consolidated Plan for Housing and Economic
Development, the Olmstead Commission, the
Governors Committee on Employment of People with
Disabilities, and the Vermont Transit Advisory
Committee.
24
In closing, some thoughts to summarize what we
have learned over the years. The first is that
you cant do it alone. At the same time, they
cant do it without you. Supportive funding
sponsors, contractors, and policy makers have
been key to our success, but without an
organization committed to and experienced in
independent living programs and practices it is
difficult to get it right and to build the needed
momentum for change. I want to end where we
started with the voices of our peers whose
experiences, insights and needs have built this
program and kept us mission centered. They have
continued to show us the power the voices and
experiences of individuals have to reshape a
community and change society.
25
This Home Accessibilityis an amazing tool for
a child to gain independence. People often dont
understand what it is like to raise a child with
a disability. We could not afford to make our
house accessible for our child. We were not
looking for a hand out through these programs,
just help so Danielle could gain more
independence. I wonder what would have happened
to Danielle if programs like Home Access and
others at VCIL had not been there to teach how to
advocate, and advocate for us. Years ago Danielle
may have ended up in an institution- that would
have been tragic. Parent, Swanton, Vt.
26
We may be disabled but because of this program
we can become enabled once again. We are able to
be productive, and do things for ourselves with
less help from our loved ones, whose lives are
also affectedAccidents happen in split seconds.
This assistance program should be one on the top
of every politicians list.. Participant,
Hyde Park
27
For More Information about VCILs work in home
and community accessibility and universal design,
contact Sarah Wendell, Manger Home and
Community Access Program The Vermont Center for
Independent Living, 11 East State Street,
Montpelier, VT. 05602 1-800-639-1522 www.vcil.org