A place to call home, to know you can go there and be yourself, to do things your way.  It’s important to all of us, and people with disabilities or low incomes are no different.  It could mean the great American Dream—Ownership!  It could mean simply you can be there and be comfortable, living independently in accessible surroundings.  Whatever “home” and its comforts mean to you, Abilities and Homes for Independence are here to help you achieve those goals.

Started in 1995, Homes for Independence, Inc. was formed as the housing division of Abilities, Inc. of Florida.  The primary focus was and remains to be affordable, accessible safe housing for persons with low incomes and/or disabilities.  Inclusion is the cornerstone of all our housing programs—integration into established condominium communities with easy access to shopping and transportation.  Homes for Independence has multiple program offerings including:

• Home ownership for low to moderate-income individuals.  A pilot program for ownership opportunities in Brevard County is being developed and will be available later this year. Participants will purchase units in a gated community, and if purchased by December 1, 2009 will be eligible for the government tax credit of up to $8,000. 
   
• Low interest home improvement loans are one of the products offered by HFI.  Up to $40,000 per household is available for qualified homeowners in Pinellas County to renovate and improve their current residences. Up to $75,000 per household is available in the City of Clearwater. These funds can be used for major repairs, cosmetic repairs, landscaping or accessibility modifications.  Interest rates offered by Pinellas County Community Development range from 1% - 5% depending on income.  Very low-income homeowners qualify for loans deferred until sale.  This product allows families to stay where they are, modify for aging or disability—or in increase in family size!
   
• Affordable rentals are available in both Pinellas and Brevard Counties in Florida.  Section 8 vouchers are currently welcome on 60 units in Brevard County, and 19 units in Pinellas County, with more being developed. Units are mainly scattered site and many have been modified for physical disabilities.  In Pinellas County, 6 of the units were purchased with the understanding that tenants in those units would receive up to 5% of their rent paid the first two years towards a down payment on a purchase if they continued through HFI and the ownership programs.
   
• Property Management is offered in Brevard County.  In addition to managing properties owned by HFI and Abilities HUD subsidized units, we currently manage 30 additional units in two complexes—and a condo association.  Services include maintenance, rental collection and tenant screening.

Abilities Inc. of Florida has a large variety of subsidized rentals available.  These units are made available by winning competitive grant cycles each year.  HUD provides funds to purchase condominiums in scatted sites and renovate the units.  All ground floor units are fully wheelchair accessible with roll-in showers and lowered cabinets. 

Currently, there are 60 units in operation in Pinellas County, Florida, 65 units in Brevard County, Florida, 40 units in Cumberland County, North Carolina and 5 units in Polk County, Florida.  The units are scattered throughout 17 different condominium complexes. 

Contact information:

Director of Housing                                               (727) 538-7370, ext. 357
Property Rehab Manager                                     (727) 538-7370, ext. 337
Occupancy Specialist                                           (727) 538-7370, ext. 311
Rental & Property Manager(Brevard)                    (321) 632-4542 
Rental Contacts for Pinellas, Polk                        (800) 259-5709, ext. 311
and North Carolina

For more information, please contact Donna Hardingham at  dhardingham@ourpeoplework.org.