The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, awarded over $400,000 to four local public housing authorities in the state.
It's aimed at assisting non-elderly disabled people with permanent affordable housing. Families that qualify must have at least one non-elderly disabled member under the age of 62.
Wake County’s Public Housing Authority is one of the four that got funding. It received $122,225 in mainstream vouchers through a HUD Program.
Mainstream vouchers are supposed to help people with disabilities in different situations, like those at serious risk of being institutionalized or transitioning from an institution, homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Dawn Fagan, the executive director of Wake County’s Public Housing Authority, said people who qualify face many challenges.
“I would say for some it is accessibility,” Fagan said. “Do they have transportation? You know, can they catch a bus to get where they need to go? (On top) of that are the (affordable housing) units. Obviously, if I'm in a wheelchair, I need wider doorways.”
In addition to Wake County’s, public housing authorities in Sandhills and Greenville also received funding.