Rents Reduced in Lake County
The costs of special needs properties is generally higher than typical rental units because of increased developmental costs incurred for special adaptive and safety equipment as illustrated by the photographs on this page. Also, greater wear and tear on these special homes due to damage from wheelchairs and tenant behavioral challenges causes higher maintenance costs than an average home. These two factors, in turn, affect rental rates that a housing corporation needs to charge to cover its costs of operation.
A research study conducted by the Ohio Disability Housing Network determined that for the most part, Ohio disability housing corporations are providing facilities and services that are equal or superior to those provided by similar organizations and at lower average cost.
Individuals with disabilities are very low income earners, usually earning less than $8,500 annually. Affordable rental costs are, therefore, always a very significant factor of consideration in the community based housing model. One method of controlling costs is to reduce services provided in special needs housing by housing development corporations.
In response to mutual concerns raised by Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities (LCBDD) and North Coast Community Homes, a meeting was convened in 2009 to discuss ways to reduce rental rates for our tenants in Lake County. The result of this meeting was that North Coast Community Homes (NCCH) is no longer managing snow plowing for its 14 properties in Lake County, thus enabling a 13% reduction in monthly rental rates beginning November 2009.
It was determined that on-site management may be more cost effective and quicker as a neighbor or nearby friend may be able to do the plowing, rather than a professional snow plowing company with which NCCH contracts.
North Coast Community Homes has also met with Stark County Board of Developemental Disabilities concerning the same subject of rent reduction. Discussions are still in process.
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