Shelton Forte longed for a place to call his own, something he couldn’t get in a nursing home or group home. After spending two years trying to leave a nursing home, he bounced around and landed in a group home with six residents. Finally, after help from Independence Now and the Independent Living Specialist that worked with him, Shelton is living in a Community Choice Homes (CCH) unit in Silver Spring.
“Now that I’m independent once again, it has allowed me to have a peaceful atmosphere,” said Mr. Forte. “Financial independence also a plus.”
“Affordable Housing is a crisis in our area, Community Choice Homes gave an incredible opportunity to some of our consumers,” said Sarah Basehart, Executive Director of Independence Now. “We were thrilled to work with Mr. Forte in support of his goals for independence that will have a powerful effect on his day-to-day life.”
Community Choice Homes (CCH), a partnership between Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) and the Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD), provides affordable rental homes in Montgomery County for people with disabilities who have extremely low income. Participants in the Community Choice Housing Program must have an income at or below 30% of area median income (AMI) with a priority for Household income between 10-30% AMI. Participants pay 30% of their monthly household adjusted income for rent and utilities while living in a CCH unit. The program’s goal is to have 30 rental units in Montgomery County for people with disabilities over the next 15 years.
For more information on the CCH program, contact Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County at 240-627-9400, or visit https://www.hocmc.org/.
For information about housing programs across the state, contact Maryland Department of Disabilities at 410-767-3660 or visit their website: www.mdod.maryland.gov.
