A Place to Call “Home”

Finding decent independent living arrangements doesn’t have to be hard. At the Excel Housing Department, we strive to uncomplicate the process of finding a home for the person with special needs. Excel’s network of suitable housing and its friendly staff will help make the difficult task of relocation simple.

Excel’s Property Management Department operates over 300 apartments scattered across twenty-two neighborhoods in Hamilton County. These apartments were purchased using funds from the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH), and are inspected for housing-quality standards to make sure they are:

• Clean
• Safe
• Close to shopping and bus lines
• Practical for independent living.

 

Basic Requirements

If you are referred to Excel’s Housing Department, you must be active in case management in the Hamilton County Community Mental Health Board Mental Health System. If you are able to maintain Independent Living, Excel Development will review your application to determine eligibility requirements enacted by the Ohio Department of Mental Health.

Approval

Once you are eligible, you will be put on one of four waiting lists until a certificate is available. You and your case manager will then attend a certificate briefing session at Excel. Here, the Housing Department Manager will provide paperwork and explain the procedures to find appropriate housing.

You may qualify for start-up loans for the security deposit, furniture and household items. If you obtain a loan for rent, the monthly rent will be increased by an additional 5% until the loan is paid off.

Affordability and Availability

Apartments are available as long as you meet the requirements for rent assistance. Depending on the kind of housing certificate awarded, the portion of the rent you must pay will be 30% to 35% of your assets and monthly-adjusted income. Participants are re-certified annually to verify assets, income and household composition.

When a suitable apartment has been located, it must meet rent and inspection guidelines set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After it has been approved, a lease will be prepared, and a contract will be signed by the participant/tenant and the landlord. After the papers are signed, you can move in and start enjoying independent living in a clean and safe environment.