North Coast Community Homes develops community based homes for people with disabilities when requests are made by the County Boards of Developmental Disabilties in Cuyahoga, Lake and Stark Counties and The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board in Summit County.

The Boards identify the people who need a home and also provide the care provider agencies for the people who will be living in the home. The Boards specify the level of customization required in each home that will be required to meet the special needs of the prospective residents. North Coast Community Homes (NCCH) also meets with the prospective tenants to listen to their needs and wants and to determine the best location for the home.

When initial information is obtained, NCCH then looks for an appropriate home to purchase. Design and/or renovation details are developed and construction follows.

It is always a special day when the selected tenants are able to view their home for the first time.

Funding for housing development is obtained from a variety of sources, including municipalities, county boards, the state of Ohio, the federal government through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), foundation grants, corporate supporters and individual contributors.

NCCH's work includes interior and exterior maintenance for the majority of its properties. Maintenance includes capital expenditures, such as the replacement of roofs, installation of new driveways, and window replacements, as well as smaller needs, such as leaking toilets, electrical problems and painting. NCCH goes beyond the normal responsibilities of a landlord by providing and maintaining all appliances and providing landscaping services, including snow and ice removal in the winter months in most of its properties.

Safety of our tenants is the number one priority of NCCH. All NCCH homes have interconnected fire and carbon monoxide alarms. Fire suppression systems in the hoods above each stove have been installed to help protect our tenants. Sprinkling systems are installed in homes where tenants need more time to vacate a home in case of emergeny. All alarm and fire safety systems are monitored monthly by NCCH Maintenance staff to
insure their continued effectiveness.

People who live in homes provided by NCCH sign lease agreements and pay rent. NCCH strives to keep rents affordable as our tenants are among the lowest wage earners in the United States, earning about $8,500 annually. HUD regulations limit the amount of rent a landlord can charge to tenants receiving vouchers under the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP - formerly Section 8). These limitations are based on HUD's estimate of fair market value. This limitation has caused a significant gap between tenant rents and agency costs of development and maintenance of special needs housing.