FREED: Using Best Practices to Increase Accessibility 

for Housing Stability

Disability and Aging Network Partnerships for Assistive 

Technology, Home Modifications, and Repair in California

FREED Center for Independent Living, a disability and aging resource center providing 

services in northern California, has multiple programs that increase housing stability for 

older adults and people with disabilities. Many of FREED’s home modification and 

repair services are offered in collaboration with other agencies in the area. FREED and 

its partners collaborate on intake, assessments, referrals, service delivery, and funding 

of services. These partnerships started more than 20 years ago when FREED began 

receiving Older Americans Act (OAA) funding through a local area agency on aging to 

expand its Fix It Program. Today, FREED serves more than 2,300 people a year. It 

continues its external partnerships and implements multiple programs that work 

together to provide comprehensive services to people with disabilities and older adults

living in the community. 

Programs and Services • The Fix It Program provides health and safety-related minor home modifications

and repairs that support people aged 60 and above so they can live in their own

homes safely or transition from institutional settings to community living.

Examples of services include installing grab bars and handrails, repairing leaky

faucets, support in building ramps, and minor entryway repairs. Services are

provided by volunteers and through collaboration with other agencies.

• The AT Program coordinates the donation and reuse of assistive devices

through its Device Lending and Demonstration Center.

• The Transition Services Program meets with consumers at skilled nursing

facilities prior to discharge and connects them to services including Fix It and AT.
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• The Aging and Disability Resource Connection provides referrals to 

community resources and outside agencies when needed repairs and 

modifications fall outside the scope of FREED’s Fix It services.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Through two decades of working closely with partners to support housing stability, 

FREED has identified the following three best practices.

• Identify organizations in your community that have similar goals and serve similar 

populations. Building partnerships with these organizations could help your 

program more effectively address the needs of older adults and people with 

disabilities.

• Explore the various funding sources that may be available. In addition to OAA

Title III-B funding, FREED uses funding from the Money Follows the Person 

Program, city/county housing and community development departments (e.g., 

Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships 

Program block grants), and local general funds.

• Be persistent. After three years of applying, FREED obtained new county CDBG

funding for major home modifications in Nevada County.

Funding Sources

Funding Source Federal State/Local

OAA Title III-B X

Older Adults Recovery and Resilience Funding – Dignity at Home X

County CDBG X

California Department of Rehabilitation X

California Money Follows the Person – California Community 

Transitions X

County general funds X

Contacts

Kimi Barnes, Fix It Program Coordinator, FREED Independent Living Center, 

kimi@freed.org

Carly Pacheco, Executive Director, FREED Independent Living Center, 

carly@freed.org