Guides: Housing
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General Housing: Published by New Horizons Un-Limited
Guide to Searching for Appropriate Housing Options
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc
This guide was written by the staff of New Horizons Un-Limited to assist individuals with disabilities and their caregivers research appropriate housing environments. This guide provides an outline of several housing options and discusses the feasibility of each relative to the required level of independence. It will further suggest items that one must take into consideration throughout the search so to make the most informed decision.
Guide to Searching for Rental Housing within the Community
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc
This guide was prepared by our New Horizons Un-Limited staff to assist individuals with disabilities and their caregivers research and locate apartment opportunities within their community. This guide discusses issues pertaining to locating non-subsidized, subsidized, and accessible apartments. It will further inform individuals with disabilities of their rights and responsibilities throughout this process. Many helpful resources and programs will be listed that can make the search process less complex.
Home Buying: Published by New Horizons Un-Limited
Home Buying Basics
This guide, written by New Horizons Un-Limited staff, will assist you to assess your current situation and get started on the rode to home purchase.
Guide to Buying a Home of Your Own For People with Disabilities
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc
This guide, written by New Horizons Un-Limited staff, helps people with disabilities to plan for the future by assessing their situation, identifying their needs and identifying resources that will help in the process of buying a home.
Guide to Buying a Home for People with Disabilities: Financial Options
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc
This guide, written by New Horizons Un-Limited staff, assists people with disabilities with the financial options of buying a home. The financial burden of buying a home can be very complicated for people with disabilities. People with disabilities face unique needs and issues. Due to the recognition that home buying and new legislation can help to solve the housing crises, there are many emerging programs designed to provide a systematic and strategic approach to offer homeownership financial opportunities to people with disabilities.
Guide to Buying a Home for People with Disabilities: Talk the Talk - Terminology for the Home Buyer
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc
This guide, written by New Horizons Un-Limited staff, offers a glossary of terms for the disabled home buyer. It is very important to know the lingo, talk the talk, become familiar with the terminology associated with the home buying process. This glossary defines the terms and the options of homebuying which assists with decision making.
Home Modifications
Guide to Buying a Home for People with Disabilities: Accessible Homes and Home Modifications
January 31, 2002. [Revised April 30, 2002]
This guide, written by New Horizons Un-Limited staff, was written to assist people with disabilities and their families on how to find accessible homes, understand universal design, and how to work with a contractor to make necessary accessible home modifications.
Financial Assistance: Published by Others
US Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Avoiding Foreclosure
The United States Department of Housing and Urban development has developed a question and answer web section offering steps to avoid foreclosure. While this guide has been written specifically for homeowners with FHA insured loans, much of the information may apply to all homeowners in danger of losing their home. If you are behind in your mortgage payments do not delay - read this guide immediately.
This guidebook, developed by the Technical Assistance Collaborative, contains practical information to assist people with disabilities and the entire disability community to navigate through the Section 8 program more successfully. The Section 8 Housing Program administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assists people with disabilities in obtaining affordable housing.
Accessible Housing for People with Disabilities
This issue provides an overview of the history of the laws that affect accessibility modifications, the impact of these laws on tenants and owners, possible sources for funding accessibility modifications, and the role of the disability community in advocating for enforcement of these laws. (Issue 10, 2000).
Tax Deductions for Accessible Home Modifications Both the Federal Government and many states offer tax incentives for individuals making accessibility modifications to their home. You will need to check to see if itemizing your modifications will bring a better deduction than the new federal tax law for 2018 allowing a larger standard deduction.
The Section 8 Project-Based Voucher Program: Creating New Housing Opportunities for People with Disabilities
This issue provides a basic overview of a new HUD Final Rule that now makes it much easier for PHAs to use the Project-Based Voucher program (PBV), including expanding affordable and accessible housing opportunities for people with disabilities. (Issue 28, 2006)
General Housing: Published by Others
Housing First: A Special Report was a yearlong reporting project of NPR News exploring the housing dilemmas of Americans with special needs and how lack of housing can stymie their efforts to join mainstream society. They developed a wonderful collection of articles focusing on a wide array of issues and individual circumstances. They also offer a synopsis of the housing needs of key U.S. groups including people with mental illness, people with developmental disabilities and people with physical disabilities, among others.
Moving Advice for Seniors and People with Disabilities
Moving can bring logistical challenges, the financial burden of unexpected costs, and sentimental sadness associated with saying goodbye the place you�ve called home for years. For seniors and individuals living with a disability, the stress of moving can be complicated by the physical challenges of packing heavy boxes and moving furniture and learning to adapt to a new, unfamiliar environment.
If you or a loved one will be moving, this guide has been designed to help educate seniors, disabled adults, and/or their loved ones and provide the helpful information necessary to plan and execute a safe, well-organized, and stress-free move. We�ve provided tips for:
- Pre-planning the moving process and packing belongings
- Moving within a budget
- Maintaining the safety of everyone involved in the move, especially those with limited mobility or those living with a physical impairment
- Suggestions for dealing with the emotional turmoil that can surround a home relocation
Home Buying: Published by Others
Fannie Mae: Resources for Homeowner Educators: Home of Your Own Guide
This easy to read guide will be valuable to homebuyers. It covers everything from weighing the pros and cons of home ownership, to identifying sources of assistance, to qualifying for and obtaining a home mortgage, to life as a homeowner. The guide is careful to consider the unique circumstances surrounding homebuyers with disabilities.
A Guide for Disabled Homebuyers This article has a lot of resources on rights and responsibilities of buying a home. Headings include: Your Rights as a Homebuyer, Responsibilities of a Mortgage Lender to a Homebuyer, What to Do if You Feel Your Rights Have Been Violated, Programs for Assisting Disabled Homebuyers, and Additional Helpful Resources.
First Time Home Buyers Guide This article is by The Mortgage Reports. Are you a first time home buyer? This is a checklist of articles on what you will need to consider if you are buying a home: Guide to Home Buying: Part 1: Explaining "The Mortgage," Part 2: Speak To Two Mortgage Lenders, At Least, Part 3: What Mortgage Is Best For Me?, Part 4: What Happens After I Pick My Mortgage Type?, Part 5: Shop For Homes With Confidence and Part 6: Home Buyers' FAQ.
Housing and Mortgages for People with DisabilitiesMortgage Loan.com offers this comprehensive guide to housing and mortgages for people with disabilities. There is an audio version of the guide available at the top of the page. This guide covers terminology, how to get started, the process of buying a house, knowing your rights, and programs for financial assistance and how they work.
Housing and Mortgages for Veterans Mortgage Loan.com offers this comprehensive guide to housing and mortgages for veterans. This guide covers What a VA loan is, Uses for VA Loans, VA Cash-out Refinance, VA Interest Rate Reduction Loan (i.e. VA Streamline Refinance), The Benefits of VA Loans, Eligibility Requirements for a VA Loan, The Process of Getting a VA Loan, The VA Loan Appraisal Process, Finding a VA Loan Expert and more.
Mortgage and Refinance Guide for People with Disabilities by Creditcritics.com in spite of the name this is a home buying guide with excellent resources. It includes resource links for your Rights, State Housing Authorities, Pros and Cons of Home Ownership, Types of Loans available, Programs for People with Disabilies and more.
National Home of Your Own Alliance: Home of Your Own Guide
While published a number of yaers ago, the National Home of Your Own Alliance "A Home of Your Own Guide," still provides very practical and relevant information for home buyers with disabilities. The guide walks prospective home owners through the complex process of buying a home, from the initial decision to make the purchase, through the steps for acquiring a mortgage, and finally, to life as a homeowner.
Securing a Home Mortgage Loan with a Disability If you have a disability and wish to buy your own home, this guide is designed to help you and your family during the process. It will help you confirm that buying your own property is the right decision for you and guide you through the steps of buying a home. You will also learn about the financial assistance available when you have a disability to help you secure home ownership. It offers the Pros and Cons of Home Ownership, The Process of Home Buying, Getting Started, how to Understand Your Rights and Gain Financial Asistance for people with Disabilities.
Refinance & Mortgage Guide for People with Disabilities
Refinance Mortgage Rates has a guide that seeks not only to provide the reader with the most relevant and essential resources needed to navigate the myriad of red tape and sometimes rigid processes regularly associated with real estate purchases; it also aims to educate you.
To summarize, by the end of this guide you should have a basic understanding of the following:
The Fully Accessible Guide To Buying a Home For Disabled Homebuyers in 2019 - David Buys Houses Florida has shared this very comprehensive guide for buying a home for people with disabilities!
This is a must see if you would like to buy a house.
The guide is designed to be the one stop shop for everything you need to know.
You will find information on your rights, resources to aid the homebuying process,
instructions on how to file suit if your homebuyer rights are infringed, and accessibility features
to look for in a home. Additionally, they cover advice for overcoming the challenge of finding a home that fits your needs, no matter what they may be.
US Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Buying a Home
This helpful web section on HUD's website provides information on everything from how much home you can afford and available homebuying programs and mortgages, to shopping for a home, making an offer and sigining the papers.
Home Modifications: Published by Others
11 Ways to Safe Guard Your Home For Dementia Patients Preparing your home to care for a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease or dementia can be difficult. This offers suggestions for safe proofing your home, safe zones, safety features for each room, changes as dementia changes to Alzheimer's. It is important to accommodate the needs of the caregiver as well as the senior with dementia.
Best Walk-in Bathtubs after reviewing 25 companies the Retirement Living Information Center offers reviews of their choices they found to meet very comprehensive criteria for best 3 Walk-in Bathtub companies for 2018. You will learn all the features in walk-in tubs and they give the pros and cons of each company featured. They include tips for the buyer such as how much space and hot water capacity you have, reviewing your needs such as wheelchair accessibility, and those features to require.
Budget Friendly Smart Home Accommodations for Seniors and Individuals with Special Needs is a guide written by homeadvisor and provides a thorough understanding of the latest smart home technology, and suggestions for specific software and devices that can be incorporated into a home to accommodate each of seven of the most common types of disabilities: hearing difficulty, vision difficulty, speech/language difficulty, cognitive difficulty or memory loss, ambulatory difficult, arthritis, and self-care/independent living difficulty.
Choosing the Right Lot for your Universal Design or Accessible Home is a guide by Penny Hull on Stantonhomes.com. Looking for a lot for your new Universal Design home requires even more foresight than a traditional custom home. Here’s what to keep in mind to help ensure the special features that make your home easy to use don’t end up costing a lot more than you’re ready for. These tips could apply if looking to buy a home also if you plan to make modifications.
Disability Accessibility Costs Guides These guides on the costs to doing modifications in different areas of the house.
Home Modification AssistanceImproving accessibility involves things like widening doorways and lowering countertop and light switch heights for someone who uses a wheelchair. Changes that do not require home redesign, such as installing grab bars in bathrooms, are adaptability features. Universal design is usually built in when a home is constructed. It includes features that are sturdy and reliable, easy for all people to use, and flexible enough to be adapted for special needs. This short guide offers information on Evaluating your Needs, Financial Assistance, and Hiring a Contractor.
Ideas and Instructions For Building a Handicapped Accessible Bathroom
This concise article discusses the different options available and considerations to be taken in accessible bathroom design, including walk-in versus roll-in showers, grab bars, flooring, etc.
Lifts and Other Home Modifications for Accessibility Creating a safe and comfortable home is a common goal, and safety can be a crucial issue for older adults and disabled individuals. This guide offers some general information about home modifications and then offers a list of resources about home modifications and safety in the home.
Practical Guide to Universal Home Design
This guide, produced by the Iowa Program for Assistive Technology, a program of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Center for Disabilities and Development,
Iowa's University Center for Excellence on Disabilities, discusses a step-by-step approach to making your home comfortable and convenient for people of all ages and abilities in as many stages of life as possible. This guide includes design considerations for the inside and outside of your home, including suggestions for the floor plan and landscape design. It also includes essentials for universal design, such as widened doorways and zero-step entrances.
If you or someone you love is dealing with limited mobility, or if you are caring for a senior in your life, you may need to make some modifications to allow them to live comfortably and independently at home. As you consider these modifications, you will also want to consider the impact they have on the resale value of your home, should you need to sell your home at a later date. Here's what you need to know about home modifications and resale value. This guide from Home City Realestate, covers how home modifications affect the sale of your home, what modifications hurt the resale value, do it yourself fixes to maximize resale value and accessibility of your home and the Hottest Home Modifications for Disabled Individuals.
The Right Door For Everyone
Universal Design Resources
This article provides the Principles of Universal Design, a comprehensive list of resources for Design Standards and Education. This is a one stop website for resources on Universal Design.
The Ultimate Guide to Home Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities Whether youre in an older home that needs significant changes or are looking for ways to make your newer home even more accessible to disabled needs, this guide is for you. It will cover modifications for every area and room to make your home safer and more accessible.
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