Multi-family Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2013 · 96 posts · 12 votes
I know "disability status" is often a protected category, but does it work the other way?
For example, if I wanted to acquire homes that needed to be gutted anyway, rehab them to be handicapped accessible, and work out lease option agreements to help people buy homes, could I limit people I'd sell/rent to in FAVOR of people with disabilities?
What if I did this under the auspices of a nonprofit? My state (Indiana) just made it easier for city and town officials to give property to nonprofits when it has been listed as part of a tax lien sale and did not get sufficient bids. Could I set up a nonprofit specfically for this purpose and sell the properties for only as much as the cost of the rehab and the overhead for the project?
Or is "discrimination" always discrimination, no matter which side you're on?
I run a NPO that does affordable housing for disabled veterans - individual housing in not normally subject to ADA but does come under Fair Housing Act. Certain exemptions like "55 and older" communities have been included in the legislation while the "disabled only" is not specifically addressed - HUD has some specific programs for Supportive Housing (Section 811) - http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/mfh/grants/section811ptl
Best advice would be to contact your regional HUD field office and talk to them about what you want to do; they should be able to provide information about what is available, allowable and any programs that you might fit into. Good luck (and prepare to read through a ton of regulation).