HOPE, Inc. (Home Ownership for Personal Empowerment) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create stable, affordable housing options for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). This month marks the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the goal of empowering individuals to live as active and contributing community members continues to be at the heart of HOPE.

LISC LA first partnered with HOPE in 2020 through Section 4. The Section 4 Program is the only program at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) specifically designed to build the capacity of nonprofit community development corporations. LISC LA provided HOPE with a Section 4 grant to build its capacity to purchase and preserve licensed group homes in LA County—homes whose affordability is increasingly threatened by fast turnover on the private real estate market.

Understanding how independence can change people's lives is a driving force behind HOPE’s work to address the affordable rental housing shortage. According to the Center for American Progress, adults with disabilities experience poverty at more than twice the rate of adults without disabilities. And this trend affects women and people of color with disabilities at disproportionate rates. People with disabilities are saddled with more medical debt, experience higher rates of food insecurity, and receive lower pay than the general population. Moreover, these and other factors contribute to higher rates of homelessness.

Read the full article about accessible housing at LISC.