Housing crisis burdens those with intellectual, developmental disabilities

(Denver, Colo.) People with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Denver are experiencing an invisible housing crisis, according to city officials.

The City and County of Denver assists residents with intellectual disabilities with money that comes from a tax levy. Crystal Porter, who manages the program for the city, gave a presentation Wednesday during the Safety, Education, Housing and Homelessness Committee. The levy, passed in 2003, funded the IDDEAS program, which stands for Intellectual and Development Disabilities Equitable Access to Services.

Porter said the agency plans to expand its staff and services. According to the IDDEAS website, “Denver's I/DD mill levy has provided individualized assistance for, among other things, adaptive technology, therapies, clothing, mattresses, home accessibility upgrades, and furniture. In addition to the direct support that individualized assistance provides, the mill levy has also funded services focused on connecting residents with I/DD to opportunities, resources, trainings, and community experiences.”

A needs assessment in 2018 determined housing as the most critical need for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 2019, the city hosted a stakeholders forum with more than 40 agencies. The city signed a contract with Rocky Mountain Human Services to provide $464,000 worth of services in 2021 and 2022.

The city currently has about $24 million in unspent funds for the program. It hopes to expand offerings and spend down that amount.

Landlords not aware of special needs

Rocky Mountain’s services are intended to “help them have the quality of life they deserve,” Porter said of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “A lot of people in the community are struggling to maintain housing.”

She said people with intellectual and developmental disabilities often don’t qualify for homeless programs. She said landlords often don’t understand their needs.

“I wonder if one of the things we need to talk about is inter-agency engagement where people with I/DD have not been typically discussed or represented, specifically in planning on zoning contexts,” said Troy Mack of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, who was quoted in the presentation.

Couch surfing common

The housing crisis is invisible, Porter said, because people with intellectual and developmental disabilities often are couch surfing, staying with various friends and family. Others are living with aging caregivers and their future is uncertain.

Councilmember Amanda Sawyer said Brothers Development is building housing on East Colfax in partnership with the Brain Injury Alliance. She said the builders have kept their future residents in mind, even installing trauma-informed windows that muffle sound.

“I do worry that what we’re hearing and what we’re seeing are two different things,” Sawyer said of money spent from the levy. “I would love to see some of that $23 million deployed for long-term housing.”

Other council members wanted to make sure overhead costs for distributing the money remain low. In 2018, the levy collected about $17.5 million, according to the website.