The Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA) is committed to encouraging the development and preservation of affordable rental housing for Alabamians with special needs. Thus far, developers have committed to set aside more than 210 newly constructed or rehabilitated units to house disabled and homeless households throughout the state.
An interactive map of newly constructed and renovated developments that have set-aside units with management contact information, local service providers and Alabama continuum of care (CoC) office locations throughout the state is available here. AHFA has incorporated priorities for special needs housing into the following programs:
- AHFA designed a point preference for developers to set aside at least five percent of HOME and/or LIHTC-financed units for people who are homeless and/or have disabilities.
- The units must be actively marketed and rented to households with at least one tenant with a disability or a tenant transitioning from being homeless.
- If a project is selected for funding, an approved marketing and preference plan must be provided along with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the owner, management company and service provider.
- The MOU is a firm agreement, which encourages cooperation between the parties and outlines their intention to work together to provide clearly defined supportive services to eligible residents and enhance their ability to maintain independent living.
- Services must address the special needs of people who are homeless and/or who have disabilities.
- Services may be provided directly by a CoC or member agency, or via arrangement with other providers.
- As part of the MOU, the CoC, member agency or other provider will provide reasonable accommodation and continuity of services throughout the duration of the development’s compliance period.
- Funding of the National Housing Trust Fund if targeted towards special needs housing.
