RCEDA 8.5x11 Report d3

MainstreamVoucher Program Ronnie Boss was part of his high school’s football team and aspired to be a professional athlete and maybe even join the service after senior year. That all changed on May 10, 1971 when he became a victim from a gunshot wound which would leave him paralyzed from the waist down at only 17 years old. Since then, has had multiple injuries resulting in an amputated right leg and countless hospital visits. Ronnie often wondered if he would survive because of his disability and he fell deeper into despair after he found himself living on the streets for two weeks. Everything changed after a local store manager offered him a job, giving him the hope he needed to regain his confidence. He would later be connected to the Economic Development Agency’s (EDA) Housing AuthorityMainstreamVoucher Program which provides individuals with disabilities with Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance. Ronnie is one of thirty-eight individuals currently receiving assistance through the Mainstream Voucher Program and this past year, the Riverside County Economic Development Agency’s Housing Authority was awarded $609,801 in federal funding aimed at helping an additional 79 individuals with disabilities. The vouchers are funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 811 MainstreamHousing Choice Voucher Program to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities who are transitioning out of institutional housing or who may be at risk of institutionalization, experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Permanent housing serves as a platform from which persons with disabilities can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life. “This program allowed me to see first-hand that there is community support for [people] like me who are on a fixed income and living with a disability,” says Robert Bass, another participant of the voucher program. “My hope is that this program continues forever so it can provide assistance to individuals who might otherwise be living on the streets.”

The Mainstream Voucher Program supports the Americans with Disabilities Act by helping people with disabilities live in the most integrated setting. Locally, the EDA Housing Authority’s programwill provide a comprehensive model of care which combines affordable housing with an array of supportive services. Partnerships with the Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health (RUHS-BH), Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) and the Inland Regional Center (IRC) will provide supportive services to encompass a holistic care of client-centered services to bridge the gap between housing and healthcare systems. Additional partnerships with the county’s Continuum of Care, Workforce Development Center and Fair Housing Council of Riverside County will broaden referrals, provide necessary anti-discrimination advocacy and other support and workforce development training. The vouchers will further the EDA Housing Authority’s mission to reignite hope and restore human dignity, so it can continue its fight to prevent and end homelessness in Riverside County. “Our agency looks forward to connecting these vouchers to individuals in our community who will be able to choose their housing and receive the support they need to sustain housing and improve their quality of life,” said EDA Managing Director Heidi Marshall. According to RUHS-BH, during the 2016-2017 fiscal year, 2,212 of the individuals discharged from the Inpatient Treatment Facilities and Psychiatric Emergency Treatment Services were identified as homeless. Many are released only to continue cycling through public institutions at costs greater than the cost of providing rental assistance and support. Research demonstrates that housing stability is a cost effective approach to reducing avoidable health care utilization and preventing and ending homelessness.

This program allowed me to see first-hand that there is community support [people] likemewho are on a fixed income and living with a disability.” - Robert Bass, Voucher Program Participant

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