Section 811 — Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities

Section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 8013) is the federal government's primary housing program specifically for very low-income people with disabilities who are not elderly. For the parallel elderly housing program, see Section 202 supportive housing for the elderly. — providing capital grants and long-term rental assistance to develop integrated, accessible affordable housing with access to voluntary supportive services. HUD appropriates approximately $250–350 million per year for Section 811, which funds both new development (capital advances to nonprofit sponsors) and the Project Rental Assistance (PRA) demonstration that integrates Section 811 assistance into mainstream affordable housing financed by LIHTC and other sources. The program serves people with physical, developmental, and psychiatric disabilities who are at or below 50% of Area Median Income. Section 811 housing is designed around the principle of community integration — the Olmstead mandate from the Supreme Court's 1999 decision requiring states to serve people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate — which means small, scattered-site housing in ordinary apartment communities rather than congregate group homes. The program was significantly restructured by the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2010, which created the PRA model and emphasized mainstream integration over purpose-built disability-only facilities. Waiting lists typically run 2–5 years at most Section 811 properties.

Current Law (2026)

Legal Authority

• 42 U.S.C. § 8013(a) — Purpose: provide housing assistance to very low-income individuals with disabilities; assist states and localities in developing sufficient resources to provide supportive housing to persons with disabilities; integrate persons with disabilities into the general community
• 42 U.S.C. § 8013(b) — Capital advance model: HUD provides capital advances (grants) to eligible nonprofit sponsors to finance the development of supportive housing for non-elderly people with disabilities; no repayment required as long as property remains in use as Section 811 housing for 40 years; paired with Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRACs) covering operating costs
• 42 U.S.C. § 8013(b)(3) — Project Rental Assistance (PRA) Demonstration: HUD partners with state housing finance agencies to provide long-term rental assistance for units set aside within mainstream affordable housing projects (LIHTC, HOME, and other financed properties); maximum 25% of units in any project may be Section 811 PRA units; ensures integration in general-population housing
• 42 U.S.C. § 8013(d) — Tenant selection: residents must have very low income and a documented disability; owners must cooperate with local service agencies to connect residents with voluntary supportive services; services must be voluntary — residents cannot be required to accept services as a condition of tenancy (a significant protection distinguishing Section 811 from more paternalistic group home models)
• 42 U.S.C. § 8013(e) — Supportive services: access to services (healthcare, transportation, employment, daily living skills) must be made available but remains voluntary; owners must coordinate with state and local service agencies; service coordinators may be funded separately
• 42 U.S.C. § 8013(k) — Integration mandate: housing funded under Section 811 must advance community integration for persons with disabilities; properties must comply with the Fair Housing Act's accessibility requirements and the ADA; facilities must be located in areas with access to transportation, employment, and community amenities

The Olmstead Integration Mandate

The Supreme Court's Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) held that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires states to administer services in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities — a principle that transformed disability housing policy. Olmstead means states cannot unnecessarily institutionalize or segregate people with disabilities who can be served in community settings.

Section 811's evolution directly reflects Olmstead:

• Pre-Melville Act (pre-2010): Section 811 funded primarily group homes and purpose-built facilities — clusters of disability-designated housing, often physically separated from general community housing
• Post-Melville Act (post-2010): The PRA demonstration model integrates Section 811 units into mainstream housing, limits disability set-asides to 25% of any project, and requires access to community services and amenities — embodying the Olmstead integration principle

The shift from congregate disability housing to integrated community housing is a fundamental reorientation of the program. It is also more expensive per unit — integrated housing in desirable locations with community access costs more than remote group homes — and more difficult to develop, requiring coordination between housing finance agencies, housing developers, and disability service agencies.

Capital Advance Model vs. PRA Model

Capital Advance Model (traditional Section 811)

• Nonprofit sponsor receives a capital grant to develop a property
• Paired with a Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC)
• Property is specifically designated for people with disabilities
• Fewer new capital advance awards in recent years as appropriations prioritize PRA and renewals

Project Rental Assistance (PRA) Demonstration Model (post-2010)

• State housing finance agencies partner with HUD to attach Section 811 rental assistance to units within mainstream affordable housing developments
• Developer builds a mixed-use affordable housing project (e.g., 100-unit LIHTC project); Section 811 PRA covers 15–25 of those units for residents with disabilities
• Remaining units serve general low-income population
• Produces genuine integration — people with disabilities live alongside neighbors without disabilities in the same building, sharing common areas and community
• Requires coordination between housing finance agency, disability service agencies, and Medicaid home and community-based services

Connection to Medicaid HCBS Waivers

Section 811 housing is most effective when paired with Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, which fund the supportive services (personal care, nursing, behavioral health, employment support) that allow people with significant disabilities to live independently in the community. The housing stability that Section 811 provides enables Medicaid HCBS to focus on service delivery rather than crisis response. Many states have worked with HUD to align Section 811 PRA with their HCBS waiver populations — targeting housing assistance to people transitioning out of nursing facilities, psychiatric institutions, or other institutional settings.

How It Affects You

If you have a disability and need affordable housing: Section 811 properties serve non-elderly adults (under 62) with physical, developmental, or psychiatric disabilities at or below 50% AMI. To find Section 811 properties in your area, use HUD's housing search tool (hudhousing.hud.gov) or contact your state's housing finance agency or disability services office. Waiting lists are long (2–5 years typical) — apply as early as possible and update your contact information regularly. Supportive services at Section 811 properties are voluntary — you cannot be required to use them as a condition of your tenancy, but they are available to connect you with healthcare, transportation, employment support, and daily living assistance.

If you are transitioning from an institution (nursing facility, psychiatric hospital, or group home): Section 811 PRA units are specifically targeted at people transitioning from institutional or segregated settings into community-integrated housing — this is the Olmstead implementation in housing form. Your state's Money Follows the Person (MFP) program (which funds transitions from nursing facilities to community settings) and your state's HCBS waiver program may be able to connect you with Section 811-assisted housing as part of your transition planning. Contact your state's Independent Living Center (nationalcil.org), Protection and Advocacy organization (nacdd.org), or Medicaid waiver case manager for referrals.

If you are a family member of a person with a disability: Unlike Section 202 (which is for elderly households), Section 811 serves people regardless of the severity of their disability — physical, developmental (intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism), and psychiatric disabilities all qualify. If your family member is approaching adulthood and needs affordable, accessible housing, begin the Section 811 application process well before the transition — waiting lists mean planning 3–5 years ahead is realistic. For young adults with developmental disabilities, the transition from school services (IDEA) to adult housing and Medicaid services is a critical planning point.

If you work in disability services, social work, or state government: The most powerful Section 811 implementation is the PRA model coordinated with state HCBS waivers. States that have built integrated pipelines — where disability services agencies identify institutional residents ready for community transition, housing agencies identify Section 811 PRA units, and Medicaid funds the services — have produced measurable reductions in institutional placements and improved quality of life outcomes. Contact your HUD regional office and state housing finance agency about the Section 811 PRA program in your state.

Pending Legislation and Recent Developments

• Olmstead implementation: Federal and state Olmstead compliance plans continue to drive demand for Section 811 and community-integrated disability housing; Department of Justice has entered consent decrees with multiple states requiring expansion of HCBS and community housing
• Funding levels: Section 811 is chronically underfunded relative to need; disability housing advocates routinely identify the unmet need for disability housing as one of the largest gaps in the federal affordable housing system
• PRA expansion: HUD has expanded the PRA demonstration model in successive funding rounds; the integration model is now considered the best practice, and traditional capital advance awards for standalone disability properties are increasingly rare
• Youth transitioning from foster care: Growing attention to youth with disabilities aging out of foster care as a target population for Section 811; some states have aligned Section 811 PRA with their Chafee independent living programs for foster care youth
• Intersection with mental health: Supportive housing for people with serious mental illness — often funded through a combination of Section 811, Continuum of Care, and SAMHSA grants — is an active area of policy development, with Housing First evidence supporting stable housing as a prerequisite for effective mental health treatment