Federal grant aids housing for disabled

In an attempt to assist homeless or transient disabled residents who have had trouble finding affordable housing, the federal government announced Thursday that it will hand down $542,808 to the Community Caring Council of Cape Girardeau.

The money will be dispersed to about 30 families over a three-year span to find places to rent.

"Our goal is to help people who have been moving from place to place without a definite place to call home," said Roy Jones, the housing coordinator of the Community Caring Council. "We've never had the money to do this type of thing before."

The money will be used to help subsidize families' rent payments. Jones said the applicant will have to pay 30 percent of his or her income toward rent, but the grant will pick up the rest. The Caring Council will guarantee the landlord that the rent will be paid each month.

Scarlett Seabaugh, the assistant director for SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, said there is a high demand for housing assistance since many disabled residents are living on a limited income.

"They can't always afford the rent prices in the general market," she said. "And other than the cost, there is a great need for affordable, accessible housing, particularly for handicapped people with families."

She said most of the affordable housing units are geared toward elderly and not for handicapped people in their 30s or 40s with children in the home.

Part of the idea is to get the individuals and families on their feet and established so they can one day own their own homes, Jones said.

The funding will be targeted to those who are physically and mentally handicapped, as well as those who have struggled with psychological problems such as substance abuse, Jones said.

The grant will also pay for a case manager to work with other area agencies in getting training and support to help the families reach their goals for improvement.

Hillary Schmittzehe of VIP Industries, which helps mentally retarded individuals find work, said there are 10,000 mentally retarded adults in Missouri living with parents who are 65 years or older.

He said there is a definite need for housing assistance, but mentally disabled adults need more than a three-year commitment. These individuals require a lifetime of support.

"When you talk about housing, you're talking about more than shade and shelter," he said. "You're talking about a person who makes sure the person sees a doctor and seeing that he is eating properly."

Jones agreed that three years is a short period.

"The problem is the federal government doesn't like to commit to long periods of time," Jones said. "After three years, they'll take another look at it and hopefully we can keep it going."

The funding will provide a partial salary for Jones to negotiate with landlords on behalf of the disabled individual.

The Caring Council will work with other agencies to give support in areas of counseling.

Jones said the funding will be available to Perry, Bollinger, Scott and Cape Girardeau counties, but the city of Cape Girardeau will be the main area of focus. He said the money will not be available until May 1 at the earliest.

The announcement was made Thursday morning at the Osage Community Centre. Retired state representative Mary Kasten made the announcement for U.S. Senator Kit Bond, who was in Cape Girardeau Thursday to discuss a transportation bill.

The grant for the Caring Council was one of several grants issued to various Southeast Missouri organizations. Similar grants were awarded to Missouri Bootheel counties.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635