independent living alliance
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP
Currently, about 75% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) live with their parents as caregivers. However, at some time in the not too distant future, the caregivers will no longer be there to personally attend to their needs. This is why we need your help.
Daily living isn’t easy. It is filled with decisions and consequences, trials and tribulations, and ongoing challenges. Just think how much more difficult daily living becomes if you are intellectually and/or developmentally disabled and your lifelong advocate is no longer there to support and provide for your everyday needs.
This is the harsh reality that adults with I/DD face. We are a group of individuals concerned for the welfare of adults with I/DD. We have formed an alliance for the expressed purpose of working together to create an intentional living community where these adults can feel safe, included and receive the support they individually require.
In order to accomplish our mission, we know we will need a building, an ongoing staff of caring personnel, and the ability for these adults to participate in activities throughout the community. All of this requires us to ensure there is enough financial support to sustain their living community, for it to be there for these deserving adults with I/DD when their parents and caregivers are not.
Together, we are embarking upon a mission to create a safe and supportive living situation for adults with I/DD that they can remain in for the rest of their lives. We are seeking support from a variety of sources to help these dreams come true.
People with Disabilities Face A Housing Crisis
The biggest problems involve
Being part of the community and living as independently as possible are among the most important values and goals shared by people with disabilities, their families, and advocates. Unfortunately, there are many challenges to overcome to obtain this dream.
- According to the most recent data from Zillow, the average monthly rent in Michigan for April 2024 is $1,350.
- In 2024 in Michigan, a person with a disability received SSI benefits equal to $943 per month. In Wayne County, this income is equal to 19.7% of the area median income. A person with a disability receiving SSI would have to pay nearly 70% of their monthly income to rent an apartment. This leaves little or no money for food, transportation, clothing or other necessities. This population is being “priced out” of urban communities which often have better supportive infrastructures and shunted into less costly areas, often crime-ridden and lacking in the services and supports they require.
- Many individuals with disabilities require universally accessible ADA housing. Locating residences without entrance steps can prove a challenge. Other accommodations such as wheelchair accessibility, wider doorways, raised electrical outlets and lower kitchen surfaces are even more difficult to find and come at additional cost.
- Approximately 7.39 million people in the U.S. have autism, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 81% of adults 18+ with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not have a paid job in the community.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. Complaints by people with disabilities often make up the majority of discrimination complaints received by HUD’s Fair Housing Enforcement Office and other fair housing agencies.