FSSA Resource Guide

Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has put together a resource guide of services in the state containing information about programs provided and administered by FSSA.  The guide also gives direction on how Hoosiers qualify to receive state assistance from a variety of programs including:

• Early Care & Education

• Employment

• Financial Services

• Food / Nutrition

• Health Coverage

• Home- & Community-Based Services for the Aged, Blind and Disabled

• Mental Health / Addictions

• Transportation

• Housing

The guide can be found in its entirety at:

http://www.in.gov/fssa/files/FSSA_Resource_Guide.pdf

Fair Housing Month

INDIANAPOLIS – Each year, April is celebrated around the country as Fair Housing Month. This year, the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) celebrates the month with our annual conference. The FHCCI’s 4th Annual Fair Housing Conference, entitled Fair Housing: Putting the Pieces Together, will be held at the Wyndham West Hotel in Indianapolis from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM on Thursday, April 14, 2016.

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Gustavo F. Velasquez, will open and keynote the FHCCI's conference this year. Gustavo Velasquez was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate as the Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2014. Prior to his nomination, Velasquez was Executive Director of the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), a non-for-profit organization based in Washington, DC dedicated to serve thousands of Latinos and other immigrants and underserved populations gain the necessary skills and capital to start and maintain their own businesses. We believe this will be the first visit to Indiana by a HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

This year's conference will also include Beverly Gooden as our luncheon keynote speaker. Ms. Gooden is a domestic violence survivor, victim’s rights advocate, and creator of the viral social media movement, #WhyIStayed. She now speaks about domestic violence sensitivity, social justice, and the power of storytelling. She originally hails from our neighboring Ohio.

Continuing education for attorneys, social workers, and real estate have been approved. The registration cost for this all-day event is only $50/person.

For more information, including how to register, visit the FHCCI’s Events Page at: http://www.fhcci.org/events/

Fair housing training offered

On June 10th, the Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission will present a Policy training at the Indiana Government Conference Center for anyone interested in learning how to identify and address violations of the Fair Housing Act. The training will run from 8:00 am - 4:15 pm. The training is free, but CLE credit is available for attorneys for a $35 fee payable in cash, check, or money order at the event.

For questions regarding the training, please contact Grace Sonnabend, Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST Program Assistant, at GSonnabend@lcmarchitects.com.

To register for the event, please visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/indianapolis-in-fair-housing-accessibility-first-training-registration-13832075109

2015 Work Incentive Fact Sheets Available Online

The Institute’s Center on Community Living and Careers’ website features a series of fact sheets on many of the Social Security Administration’s work incentive programs.

The 19 fact sheets are brief explanations of work incentive programs available to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) beneficiaries, such as:

• Impairment-Related Work Expenses
• Trial Work Period
• Extended Period of Eligibility
• Substantial Gainful Employment for 2015

Also included on the CCLC Benefits Information and Planning webpage are resources for people with disabilities and their families or providers who may need information on housing subsidies, special savings accounts that won’t impact benefits, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

To see the entire list of fact sheets, please visit:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=3692

To view the Benefits Information and Planning page, visit:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=70

Section 8 Housing Waiting List to Open in Bloomington

THE BLOOMINGTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IS OPENING THE SECTION 8 WAITING LIST on Wednesday December 28^th, 2011

ONLY 300 Section 8 Applications will be available.

Applications will be distributed at the Bloomington Convention Center, located at Third and College beginning promptly at 9:00 am.

Only the Head of Household Will Have Access to the Distribution

Applicant(s) must be income eligible (Annual Income cannot exceed)

1  Person   $22,050
2  Persons  $25,200
3  Persons  $28,350

4  Persons  $31,450

5  Persons  $34,000

6  Persons  $36,500

7  Persons  $39,000

8  Persons  $41,550

Applicants must bring Government issued Photo ID.

An information session of approximately thirty minutes will follow the distribution of the applications.

Applicants will have until 4:00 pm on January 9, 2012, to return the completed application with all required documents.  Applications returned without all required documents will not be accepted.

If you are elderly or have a disability, you may obtain an affidavit at the Bloomington Housing Authority to have someone else apply on your behalf. This must be done prior to December 28th.  The Bloomington Housing Authority is located at 1007 N. Summit Street.

To avoid potentially unsafe conditions, early arrivals or camping out is prohibited, the Bloomington Police Department will be patrolling.

For questions please contact Jane at 339-3491 ext 133 or via email at jcollins@blha.net.

Inclusive Housing

Interested in architecture? Want to design accessible homes? Inclusive house: A pattern book might just be what you're looking for. Architecture students and community planners alike will find this book valuable with topics from designing communities that accommodate people with disabilities to designing to reduce urban sprawl. Explores accessibility features in different types of neighborhoods and housing forms.

Send us an email at cedir@indiana.edu to check out this title. Or try worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Free Webinar on Accessible Transient Lodging

The U.S. Access Board and the ADA National Network will offer a free webinar on Accessible Transient Lodging TODAY, Thursday, February 3, 2011 from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

In addition to overnight accommodations, hotels, motels, and other places of transient lodging offer many different types of amenities, such as swimming pools, fitness facilities, spas, restaurants, and conference rooms.

This session will provide an overview of requirements for transient lodging facilities in the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines, including those that address sleeping rooms, bathrooms, and other spaces and amenities.

Presenters will include Jim Pecht and Earleen Sesker, Accessibility Specialists from the U.S. Access Board. The Webinar is free but registration is required. Visit http://www.accessibilityonline.org (click on the “Registration Information” web link to start the process).

Section 8 Housing in Bloomington

The Bloomington Housing Authority is pleased to announce that the Section 8 waiting list will be open for a half day in November, 2010. On Wednesday, November 17^th, they will be taking applications from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Long lines are expected, therefore, tickets will be given to the people who stand in line but do not make it inside to turn in their applications. Applicants who do not turn in their completed applications on November 17^th must turn in their completed applications no later than Friday, November 19^th at 4:00 p.m., and these applications must be accompanied by the ticket that was given out on the 17^th

In order to submit a complete application, each applicant must have a Social Security card and a birth certificate for every person in the household. Applicants and household members over 18 must have a driver’s license or state issued ID card. These documents must be submitted for every person in the household. APPLICATIONS THAT ARE NOT ACCOMPANIED BY THESE DOCUMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Applicants must also bring proof of income, such as paystubs, letters from employers, TANF or Social Security award letters, and bank statements for all accounts. Applications that have been obtained and filled out ahead of time will not be accepted.

Please call ahead (812-339-3491) if reasonable accommodations for a disability or a language interpreter will be needed.

BHA opens Section 8 Waiting List

The Bloomington Housing Authority has announced the opening of the Section 8 Housing Assistance waiting list for two days in September. They will take applications on Tuesday, September 8th from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, September 9th from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

In order to apply, each family must provide Social Security cards and identification (birth certificates, drivers licenses etc.) for every person in the household, as well as proof of income. You can access a copy of the application at http://www.bhaindiana.net/Section%208%20Application.pdf.

Call Danielle Sorden at 812-339-3491 ext. 132 for more information and accommodations for disabilities.

Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones is a relatively new community here in Bloomington, IN that offers shelter and support to youths 16-20 years old who may be homeless, have substance abuse issues, or have dropped out of the traditional education system. The program offers job skill training, educational support, counseling services, and a Health & Wellness program to help teens learn to take care of their physical and mental well being.

If you're interested in becoming a resident or know someone who would benefit from Stepping Stones' services, call 812-339-9771 to find out about program openings.

Did you hear...CeDIR has a podcast!

Welcome to the inaugural edition of CeDIR's weekly Podcast "Did you hear...!" Join us each Monday for a new episode. We'll cover a wide variety of subjects about disability as well as a resources guide for further information! Today's topic is:

Visitability

for more information:

Hauss, S.E. (2003). Welcome to our house: One family's story on accessibility Bloomington,IN: Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.

Steven Winter Associates. (1997). Accessible housing by design: Universal design principles in practice New York : McGraw-Hill

For online resources visit:

http://del.icio.us/cedir/visitability

Want to automatically be notified when a new episode comes out? Subscribe to our RSS Feed!

Find Accessible Housing in Indianapolis

If you or someone you know is looking for accessible housing in the Indianapolis area, one site you should definitely look at is Indiana Housing Now. Here, users can filter results so that they show only those that are accessible for individuals with disabilities. Results can also be narrowed by price and number of bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as proximity to shopping, hospitals, and public transit. The site will even help you calculate your moving costs! Check it out today to see the housing opportunities available in the area.

Homeownership

We all dream of owning our own home. Center on Community Living and Careers, a sister center with CeDIR, offers some resources to help with homeownership for people with disabilities.

Rental Housing

Homeownership

Home Modifications

Fair Housing

The Consolidated Plan

Person Centered Planning & Homeownership

Guardianship & Homeownership

For other information, you might also contact the Indiana Housing Finance Authority (800-872-0371) or the Indianapolis HUD Office (317-226-6303).