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In 2012, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) and TDHCA partnered to develop a successful application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to receive the Real Choice Systems Grant: Building Sustainable Partnerships for Housing. The State of Texas was one of six states selected to receive an award in 2011.
DADS and TDHCA partnered to complete the following activities:
- Apply for the HUD Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program
- Implement a Housing and Services Partnership (HSP) Academy
- Create the Housing and Services for Persons with Disabilities Online Clearinghouse
- TDHCA Technology Improvements
Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program
TDHCA partnered with the state's Medicaid Agency, the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) on developing the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance (PRA) Demonstration Program and its application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Through the CMS Real Choice Systems Grant, TDHCA and the partner HHSC agencies were able conduct an extensive public participation process on the development of the program design that included consumers, all of the health and human service agencies, housing developers, and other key stakeholders, as well as conduct five Roundtables throughout the state with over 100 participants.
Housing and Services Partnership (HSP) Academy
The Housing and Services Partnership Academy provided local communities the tools and education necessary to create safe, affordable, accessible housing for people with disabilities. The Academy provided a 2-day intensive workshop for 16 local community teams that included housing and service providers, as well as consumers. In addition, the Academy created documents, available through the Housing Resource Center's Tools for Serving People with Disabilities, as resources for organizations and developers interested in creating community-based, affordable, integrated housing for people with disabilities.
Housing and Services for Persons with Disabilities Online Clearinghouse
TDHCA partnered with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and 2-1-1 Texas to create the Housing and Services for Persons with Disabilities Clearinghouse feature on the 211Texas.org website which provided an interactive resource for people with disabilities, as well as local providers, to find community-based affordable housing and services.
TDHCA Technology Improvements
Additional projects were proposed to complement the goals of the grant. The Real Choice grant paid for TDHCA information and technology staff to complete several projects.
- Created a quarterly data transfer from TDHCA to 2-1-1 that informs the 2-1-1 system of the current administrators of TDHCA funds.
- Changes to the TDHCA website and databases to incorporate and integrate the Section 811 program, both to inform the public and staff regarding details regarding the program.
- Created a page on the TDHCA website, The Tools for Serving People with Disabilities webpage , to inform the public on how to create affordable housing for people with disabilities coordinated with services and how to access current available resources.