Take-Aways from Ohio Solutions for Housing and Services 1

Ohio Solutions for Housing and Services 

Office Hour Series | Take-Aways

HOW CBOS CAN SPONSOR, DEVELOP, OR CO-DEVELOP AFFORDABLE 

HOUSING

Thursday, January 13th from 4:00-5:00 pm Eastern

Presenters: 

• Joseph Recchie, CEO, Community Building Partners and Praxia Partners

• Duana Patton, CEO, Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, and Board Member, Ohio 

Association of Area Agencies on Aging

• Justin Moor, Vice President of Planning and Program Development, Area Office on 

Aging of Northwestern Ohio

Stakeholders from housing and community development and aging services discussed how 

they developed partnerships to expand affordable housing and access to community-based 

supportive services. 

• Community-based organizations (CBOs), including those in the aging and disability 

networks, can solely develop or partner with housing developers in building units and 

providing services to tenants. When CBOs play a role in sponsoring or co-sponsoring 

a housing development, they can negotiate to receive a share of the development 

fee or to retrieve some of the income generated through property cash flow to 

support service provision.

• A CBO’s first step is gaining support from the board of trustees/directors for an 

expanded role in connecting services with housing and helping the community 

expand affordable, accessible housing. 

• Another tactic is to find a housing friend/mentor/colleague who helps you:

o Develop a solid proposition for why your CBO’s involvement in the 

development and/or future operations adds value to the business partners. 

Make sure the proposition is a win-win. For example, we can help you connect 

with this population to fill the units and our services will help you retain 

tenants and reduce problems. 

o Get a seat at the table where deals are made, planning and policy decisions 

are set, housing needs are assessed, and government funding is prioritized. 

There is a lot of competition for seats, and having a current “insider” pull you 

in can make a difference. 

o Show you the ropes as you learn and navigate a new sector. 
Take-Aways from Ohio Solutions for Housing and Services 2

• In every meeting, announce your CBO’s interests and capabilities. Even if the 

meeting itself doesn’t directly result in opportunities, as your CBO becomes known, 

opportunities will begin to present themselves.

• In every discussion, be ready with potential solutions to improve housing options and 

access to supportive services. 

• Capitalize on existing relationships and learn about potential partners. With them, 

create a shared vision and engage community members and leaders in supporting 

that vision. 

• Dogged perseverance may be necessary, but outcomes like a 15-year non-cancel 

contract for service coordination or a share of the development profits can make it all 

worthwhile. 

As opportunities take shape:

• CBOs have a range of roles they can play: sign as a co-sponsor on an application, 

serve as one of the development partners, obtain a contract to provide services to 

the residents to improve stability, provide land for the development, or even be the 

primary developer and property manager.

• Financing may seem very difficult but doesn’t need to be. Throughout the U.S., 

communities and states have new opportunities to expand affordable, accessible 

housing and reduce homelessness through their American Rescue Plan Act funds.

o Now is the time for CBOs and the people they serve to be educating decisionmakers about housing needs of people with disabilities and older adults. 

• The financing package needs to anticipate that 1) operating costs will increase and 

2) residents’ income is unlikely to keep pace with inflation. To mitigate these future 

challenges, consider:

o Green design and renewable energy sources; these design aspects may 

enable you to tap into additional sources of funding and keep operating costs 

down;

o Options to keep the rents affordable, such as getting donated land or a nocost 99-year lease of land;

o Mixed-income development in areas with high market rates, where the 

income from those units can offset the subsidized housing units;

o Contracts that enable the CBO to capture any surplus money or deferred 

developer fees to support service coordination. 

• Once you have a deal, fulfill all commitments made to the investor(s), obligations to 

the bank, and all compliance requirements.

SERVICE COORDINATION MODELS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Tuesday, January 25th from 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern

Presenters: 

• Duana Patton, CEO, Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, and Board Member, Ohio 

Association of Area Agencies on Aging

• Joseph Recchie, CEO, Community Building Partners and Praxia Partners

• Justin Moor, Vice President of Planning and Program Development, Area Office on 

Aging of Northwestern Ohio

• Calvin Thomas, Vice President, Accord Management
Take-Aways from Ohio Solutions for Housing and Services 3

Stakeholders from housing and community development and aging services explored ways 

to provide service coordination in multifamily housing settings though housing and service 

network partnerships. The session featured one strategy for braiding funding for sustainable 

service coordination and home and community-based services.

• Service coordination is a function. The position title may vary, but at its core, the 

function is an active and ongoing process to assist individuals to get the services and 

support that they need. Effectiveness is rooted in strong relationships with residents 

and community service providers.

• Service coordination benefits all stakeholders.

o Residents have someone “who has their back,” can coordinate with medical 

and transportation services, and interpret bills. They get referrals to supports 

that can avert premature moves to nursing facilities or help resolve problems 

that could result in possible eviction.

o Property managers and owners gain a professional who is onsite, can be a 

more neutral mediator, and assist residents. Service coordinators can help 

residents make sure rent and utilities are paid. 

o Community-based organizations (CBOs) with service provision contracts can 

obtain revenue that enables them to extend how they serve the community. 

o Investors benefit from enhanced project viability and sustainability.

It can be challenging to fund service coordination, but solutions exist.

• Negotiating service coordination long-term funding as part of the development 

process. A small amount is permissible through mortgage tax credits. Developer fees 

can augment, and as a result, investors may pay from 50-90 percent of service 

coordination fees by allowing it to be paid from the developer fee and therefore 

added to the basis of the property. 

o CBOs can secure this funding by negotiating with developers before agreeing 

to sponsor a project. They need to have a MOU ready stipulating intent for a

long-term contract regarding service coordination that sets standards and 

fees indexed for inflation. A contract needs to be put in place at the earliest 

possible time after the conditional award of credits in order to maintain 

integrity in the representations to the public bodies.

o CBOs first need to get their board of directors educated, then reach out to 

developers of affordable housing to convey interest in being a service partner, 

development partner, or having an ownership stake. This soft marketing is 

low cost but effective. 

• Securing reimbursement from insurance carriers, managed care organizations 

(MCOs), Medicaid, and Medicare. Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging had its 

service coordinators certified as community health workers (CHWs), which enabled 

this CBO to contract with its regional Pathways Community HUB for care 

coordination. HUBs refer people to the AAA, which receives a payment when CHWs 

help clients complete a pathway to reach a goal. A range of payers participate in the 

HUBs.

• Pursuing local funding for housing and services, such as grants, business 

sponsorships, and government tax levies. Although the amounts may be smaller 

than the prior two sources, they can help close funding gaps.
Take-Aways from Ohio Solutions for Housing and Services 4

CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS TO EXPAND OPTIONS FOR AFFORDABLE, 

ACCESSIBLE HOUSING

Thursday, February 10 from 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern

Presenters: 

• Justin Moor, Vice President of Planning and Program Development, Area Office on 

Aging of Northwestern Ohio

• Ash Lemons, Associate Director, The Ability Center of Greater Toledo

Stakeholders from housing and community development and aging services discussed 

partnerships with health care entities and others to address the need for accessible and 

affordable housing. The collaboration included home modifications, assistive technologies, 

and a new joint housing locator. 

• Assistance with housing and transportation are foremost priorities for both the Area 

Agency on Aging (AAA) and Center for Independent Living (CIL). The populations 

they serve have similar housing concerns, and both deliver person-centered services 

and supports for community living. By collaborating in three areas, these CBOs have 

enhanced how they fulfill their missions.

• Home Modifications and Transitions to Community: The partners collaborate to make 

existing housing more accessible to persons with disabilities, including individuals 

transitioning from hospitals or nursing homes back to the community.

o With initial funding, the partnership purchased three ramp systems, which can 

be removed and reused. Many more have been purchased.

o With local donors and a grant from the state designated assistive technology 

agency, The Ability Center provides durable medical equipment to individuals. 

All donated equipment is serviced, sanitized, and inventoried before offered to 

the community. Top requests are shower transfer benches, shower chairs, 

wheelchairs, raised toilet seats, and rollators.

o Home modifications to improve accessibility and safety in the home, such as 

stairlifts, grab bars and handrails.

o An effective method towards preventing accommodation delays is to include a 

Fair Housing Act citation on your landlord agreement forms. This provides 

both the Landlord and Tenant with an opportunity to self-educate.

o Funding sources for these activities and equipment include: home 

modification funds in the Older Americans Act, state assistive technology 

program grants, community development block grants, and private donations, 

among others.

• Housing Search Assistance Tool: The partners developed their own online housing 

search tool because other online search forms often had incomplete or outdated 

information, or gaps in their listings. A full-time housing navigator that serves both 

organizations develops and maintains the database, which is a time intensive 

activity. The database investment is offset by providing results that are more tailored 

to individuals’ needs and preferences, thus supporting a more efficient search 

process. The partners pooled multiple funding sources to support this.

• Advocating for Rights and Equity for People with Disabilities and Older Adults:

Together, the partners successfully advocated for a ban on source-of-income 

discrimination to increase acceptance of housing vouchers in Toledo. Because of their 

advocacy, essential bus services were restored after being cut. Other issues include 
Take-Aways from Ohio Solutions for Housing and Services 5

local zoning, visitability standards, and reasonable accommodations. Currently, they 

are advocating that local officials use American Rescue Plan funding to build 

affordable housing.

• To expand the availability of affordable, accessible housing:

o The Ability Center has partnered with the local housing authority to obtain 

vouchers for clients. It also published two booklets to support affordable, 

accessible housing. The Rights of People with Disabilities in Inclusive 

Neighborhoods and Vital Connections: Civil Rights and Public Policy Affecting 

People with Disabilities in Pursuing Inclusive, Accessible Transportation.

o Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio worked with a variety of partners 

to develop four multifamily housing developments for older adults. Some are 

located on a service-rich campus with Veterans Administration clinic, a senior 

center, and more. 

• To improve access to home and community-based services that individuals choose 

and want:

o The AAA obtained contracts for service provision with four payers: Medicaid 

waiver services, the state Medicare-Medicaid plan, Medicare Advantage plan, 

and a commercial plan.

o The CIL was a transition coordinator for the Money Follows the Person 

program.

o Together they created a transportation search tool because transportation is 

key to housing that makes community living accessible and affordable.

HELPFUL LINKS

Housing and Services Resource Center (email is hsrc@acl.hhs.gov)

Aging and Disability Networks

Protection and Advocacy and Community Assistance Programs

State Assistive Technology Programs