Frequently Asked Questions about Housing Works - Answered

Rachel Durkan
Marketing and Communications Manager
January 23, 2012

Recently we have had an influx of questions about our Housing Works Program.  Below are some of the answers to those questions.  For more information, or to view the progress of our homes, you can visit our website at www.bergenunitedway.org.

What are Orchard Commons, the Roberts House and Crescent Commons?

Orchard Commons, the Roberts House and Crescent Commons are permanent supportive housing residences developed by BCUW/Madeline Corporation on behalf of Allendale Housing Inc. They are independent living facilities for individuals with special needs. There is no 24/7 supervision or staff. 

Who runs Orchard Commons, the Roberts House and Crescent Commons?

Allendale Housing Inc. owns all three properties. The BCUW/Madeline Corporation Partnership were the developers and now oversee the ongoing property management and is responsible for the maintenance of the property, which includes landscaping, snow removal, and problems with major appliances. BCUW/Madeline Corporation is NOT the service provider. Orchard Commons, the Roberts House and Crescent Commons are not group homes, they are independent living residences.

When construction is complete, who will live at Crescent Commons?

Six adults living with a disability who are in need of Multiple Sclerosis support services and eighteen adults with developmental disabilities (such as Asperger’s, Down syndrome, Williams Syndrome, etc).

What are the eligibility requirements?

Each applicant must have a diagnosed developmental disability from a licensed professional, demonstrate the ability to live independently without supervision, self- medicate, meet eligibility requirements for a low-income housing voucher, show placement on the DDD waiting list, have an active service provider who provides ongoing supportive services that is willing to enter into a formal agreement with BCUW, submit a letter of recommendation from that service provider, and demonstrate means of income.

What is the role of a service provider?

A service provider delivers individualized supportive services. The service provider can be a licensed professional or agency, such as a non-profit organization. The service provider is self selected by the tenant. This is known as the consumer choice model. The service provider must be willing to enter into a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with BCUW/Madeline Corporation to ensure that they will provide the appropriate ongoing services that are required for the tenant to be successful in living independently.

What types of support do service providers offer?

Service providers tailor services based on the individual’s needs, which vary person to person, and can change over time. Some examples of different services include case management, cleaning, assistance with budgeting, menu planning, travel training, or job coaching.

If I don’t have a service provider, how can I find one?

You can contact your DDD Case Manager for assistance, or locate one based on your specific needs at www.fscnj.org. Then, click on Services and then Resource Database.

How are these services paid for?

The individual and his/her family organize the best way to utilize financial resources. Some examples of how services are paid for include, 1) Self directed day services budget, 2) Medicaid, 3) private pay, 4) earnings from employment, or 5) SSI income.

How does the application process work?

The public will be notified of available housing by mailing list, through local newspaper ads, or through a local service provider. Each open application has a specific time frame in which it must be completed and submitted including any additional documentation that may be required. All applications received by the submission deadline will be assigned an identifying number and a lottery will be held. The identified individuals will then have their application reviewed, and if eligibility criteria are met, an interview will be scheduled. Selection will not be determined until all interviews have been conducted.

Are there any scheduled activities or outings?

The tenants of the community will have access to the Community Room to organize activities. BCUW/Madeline Corporation hosts monthly tenant meetings where news and updates are provided, as well as providing an opportunity for tenants to discuss any property issues or concerns. There are no formalized activities or outings that are arranged by a particular agency; rather, the tenants are encouraged to arrange their own gatherings.

What do the tenants do for transportation?

The tenants are responsible for their own transportation to get to/from where they need to go. Some tenants have cars and drive, others take public transportation, at times the tenants will pay for a taxi, and others rely on other types of resources, whether it may family member or a day program. Access Link currently does not service Allendale. The train is within walking distance from each property, which is a common means of transportation. BCUW/Madeline Corporation is advocating for other possible modes of transportation, but currently cannot guarantee that other types of transportation will become available.

What do the tenants do during the day?

Currently, the tenants of Orchard Commons and the Roberts House work, go to college, and/or attend day programs. They also participate in social clubs, play sports in recreational leagues, and volunteer at their local place of worship. It is expected that the tenants of Crescent Commons will have similar lifestyles.

How are the roommates paired up?

Roommate selection is primarily based on gender, age, and common interests. Other factors are taken into consideration, such as schedule/routine, family demographics, disability and support needs.

Who cooks and cleans?

The tenants cook and clean for themselves. Some residents receive assistance from their service providers to help with certain tasks such as cleaning or doing laundry. Some residents/roommates pay for a cleaning service 1x per month to help with more physically challenging tasks (vacuuming, scrubbing the shower, cleaning the oven, etc). 

Is there a waiting list?

We do not have a waiting list. We are maintaining a database with the contact information for individuals interested in living in our housing developments. The National MS Society’s Northern NJ Chapter is also maintaining a database for interested individuals who are in need of housing combined with MS support services.

What are the visitation rules?

Our residences are not group homes or institutional facilities; therefore, there are no parameters about visiting hours. Each tenant can have visitors at their own will and discretion. However, there are guidelines within the lease that specify details on overnight guests and length of stay.

Are there vacancies?

Right now there are no openings at Orchard Commons or the Roberts House.  At this time, we expect applications for Crescent Commons to be available on April 1, 2012.

Is there local preference?

Local preference is given to applicants that currently live in the municipality where the housing development is located. For example, lifelong residents of the town of Allendale are given special consideration for housing developments that are located there.

Is a security deposit required?

Each tenant will be responsible to pay a security deposit. This amount will be calculated by the local Department of Community Affairs (DCA) office, based off of the individual’s income and the fair market rent amount of what type of unit they will be occupying (1 bedroom or 2 bedrooms). Each applicant must meet the affordable housing guidelines.

Is there an application fee?

There is no application fee.

How is rent determined?

If a tenant is receiving an SRAP (State Rental Assistance Voucher), the resident’s responsibility toward the monthly rent is 30% of their gross income. 

Do I have to pay utilities?

Tenants who live in a one bedroom apartment will be responsible to pay their own utilities. Tenants who live in a two bedroom setting do not have to pay a separate utility bill- the amount is included in the cost of the rent.

Are pets allowed?

Tenants are not allowed to have pets.

How will housing be maintained over the long term?

The physical property will be maintained by the BCUW/Madeline partnership. The tenants will maintain independent living with assistance from their service provider(s) and any active family or friends who take on a responsibility role.

What happens when I pass away or am no longer able to care for my loved one?

As tenants transition into independent living, it is encouraged that the family prepare for ongoing life plans. This would include agreements primarily with the service provider, and any additional family, friends or neighbors. We encourage families to start planning who will be involved in their loved one’s life to assist with ongoing needs and provide a caring support system. Families are also encouraged to identify and address other types of living situations, should they become necessary. For example, a nursing home may need to be identified during the planning process for a tenant who may later in life have a higher risk of becoming non-ambulatory.  

What does the future hold for these Very Special Homes?

The BCUW/Madeline partnership is committed to continuing development of special needs housing. As information about our other projects becomes available, we will be sharing that information on our website www.bergenunitedway.org as well. Please check back here regularly for more information on what else is in the pipeline.

Where can I get more information about the National MS Society?

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/njm/programs--services/accessible-housing/index.aspx

Coming Soon - Frequently Asked Questions.

With recent news articles bringing awareness to the call for special needs housing throughout the state of NJ, many families who have a loved one with a disability have been reaching out to our office with lots of questions about our housing developments. We are in the process of developing a Frequently Asked Questions page. Please check out our website to watch us build, as well as get some clarification on those questions that you have been wanting the answers to.

Housing Applications - The final barrier

By Eamon Bencivengo

Applications.  Commonly described as burdensome and tedious, they represent the final barrier blocking admittance to school or the awarding of monetary prizes.  While my young age has not yet afforded me a wealth of experience, in regards to applications, I have completed enough over the course of my twenty three years.  From college and graduate school entrance applications, to scholarship and loan applications, I long considered myself a veteran of the application process.  Such a consideration quickly disappeared this past week as I have begun to fill out my first application to receive a government grant for housing construction.  Working with Shari DePalma, the executive director of our partner the Madeline Corporation, I have been slowly, but steadily filling out the grant application for New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs HOME Program dollars for our upcoming Crescent Commons Homeownership project.  Unlike my college entrance application, I have been pooling together site surveys, environmental reviews, zoning resolutions, and tax maps to assist me in answering the plethora of required application fields.  These fields range from the number of water mains on the site to the square footage of each unit.  Furthermore, I have been gathering the resumes of our engineer, architect, attorney, and contractor to put into the application.  Undoubtedly, I am muddling through the application process as I must ask Shari and Tom Toronto question after question.  However, with every question I ask and every answer I receive my muddled step turns into a stride as I become more educated about the affordable housing development process.  I know that soon enough, just as I became an expert in college applications, I will become an expert in building homes people can afford.

Holiday Parties for the Residents of Orchard Commons

Written on December 20, 2011

By Jenai Gaccione

Housing Services Coordinator

This is a cheerful time of year for the residents of Orchard Commons and Robert’s House, with lots to celebrate and be excited about. On Saturday night, everyone got together for the 30^th birthday of one of the residents. It was a big bash, celebrated with friends and family at a local hotel in Mahwah. Sunday was another day filled with good food and fellowship- it was the annual holiday party. This year it was held at Mayor Barra’s house, and many of the residents enjoyed playing pool and talking about what they want as gifts for the holidays. One resident said that all she wants is a job, and another resident talked about how he wanted his grandmother to be in better health. As they reflected on what was important to each of them this holiday season, everyone was reminded of how the residents have created their own family within their community.  

This week, the residents will continue to celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah with their families. For some of them, they will be traveling out of town to visit with siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. For others, they will be staying local. Next week, the residents will get ready for another big party, but this time at Robert’s House- where they will ring in the New Year with lots of friends, music and food!

Three Times a Charm

By Tom Toronto
President

Three times a charm: never before has such an adage rung more clearly than over the course of this past week.  On three consecutive days, my colleague Jenai Gaccione and I, along with our realtor, toured ranch homes in Bergen County in an effort to fulfill an initiative recently instituted by New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs to relocate 600 special needs individuals from state-run developmental centers into community based housing.  In order to accommodate the medical needs of many of these 600 individuals, the initiative provides significant financing for the acquisition and rehabilitation of one story ranch homes.  The first day of our quest to accomplish this initiative prompted Jenai and I to ambitiously set out to tour eight ranch homes in various Bergen County towns in a two hour time frame.  At the end of this marathon, we narrowed the list of eight homes down to two homes after careful consideration of the number of bedrooms, width of doors, and number of steps in each house.  The following day, Jenai and I took Shari DePalma the Executive Director of our developing partner, Madeline Corp., back to review the two homes.  While Jenai and I felt proud that Shari approved of our housing selection, we knew that such approval meant that we were headed back to the homes the next day.  It was on this next day, that we all accompanied representatives from a special needs service provider to earn their approval in transforming the ranch homes into group homes.  Although it took three visits, the final visit was certainly a charm as the representatives expressed alacrity to begin the transformation!    

Our Search for Housing, by Eamon Bencivengo

Last Wednesday I hopped in a car with a housing realtor and my colleague Jenai Gaccione to begin a tour of a ranch home for sale in Bergen County.  New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs and Housing Mortgage Finance Agency have partnered to create a program to provide new living units for 600 special needs individuals emerging from recently closed state-run developmental centers.  In treating special needs individuals with respect by working to integrate them into local communities, the program provides significant financing to housing developers who can acquire and rehabilitate a one floor ranch home into a special needs group home.  Furthermore, the program specifies that each home should provide enough beds and living space to accommodate four special needs adults, while the home itself should be in a town which has a sizable municipal housing trust fund which can be used to offset the financing costs shouldered by the state.  Thus, as we drove up Route 17 to tour our first home in Ridgewood, we reviewed the requirements which would make this home a potential future group home; wide hallways and doorways, a spacious kitchen and living room, four bedrooms, and a large bathroom to name a few.  As we arrived at the house we were met by Tom Toronto, Bergen County’s United Way President, along with two representatives from the ARC which would provide the care to the future special needs residents of the home.  After entering the home, we were delighted to find its potential to be rehabilitated into a group home as it satisfied nearly all of our requirements.  Some further discussions with the service provider, rehab construction work, and application filing are the only requirements needed to create a new home for four special needs individuals!

Special Needs Housing - Changing lives for families and individuals

By Jenai Gaccione

Housing Services Coordinator

Bergen County's United Way

For those who support a family member with a developmental disability, the dream of independence is often out of reach. Many individuals with developmental disabilities may find themselves institutionalized when their family can no longer care for them even if they have the ability to be independent. Two years ago, BCUW moved its first residents into Orchard Commons and Robert’s House, a special needs housing community for adults with developmental disabilities. Ten individuals live at Orchard Commons, and three individuals live at Robert’s House. Both Orchard Commons and Robert’s House are in Allendale, right near the center of town. The tenants moved into their beautifully situated apartments in October 2010. Since then, they have been working on enhancing their independent living skills – working, attending day programs and volunteering - all while making new friendships with neighbors, and getting acclimated into the community.  

What’s on the agenda for the holidays - a party at Mayor Barra’s house!  Then we’ll ring in a New Year of social club gatherings, monthly tenant meetings, and game nights with the Allendale Woman’s Club.  2012 is going to be a good year.