Community Life Without Limits
Living independently in the community should be a real and attainable option for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Yet in North Carolina, many individuals face significant barriers that limit their opportunities to live on their own, pursue meaningful employment, and fully participate in society.
Inclusion Matters:Building a Community for All
These obstacles can include a lack of affordable and accessible housing, limited access to supportive services, restrictive policies, and societal attitudes that underestimate the capabilities of people with disabilities. Addressing these issues requires awareness, advocacy, and collective action.
Barriers to Community Living
There are critical issues to address in North Carolina if living in the community is possible. These include:
Cost of
Living Wages
Lack of consistent cost of living wages for direct service providers (DSPs), causing severe shortages. Urge our NC General Assembly to support an increase in Direct Service Provider (DSP) rates to at least $18.00 per hour.
Service Provider
Shortage
Lack of Service Providers willing to support people with I/DD who choose to live in their own home in the community.
Medicaid Waiver
Availability
Lack of available Medicaid Innovation Waivers, due to zero funding for additional waivers over the course of many years. There are almost 19,000 people on the waiting list with an average wait of 10-15 years and it is steadily growing.
Breaking Barriers Through Collective Action
HOPE NC, along with many other organizations, is working to address these issues through advocacy. It's critical to be involved, become aware of the legislative process, and reach out to legislators to make them aware of how you and/or family members are affected.
HOPE NC has a policy and advocacy work group that is specifically advocating about issues that directly impact the ability to create and sustain inclusive and affordable housing for adults with I/DD.
Inclusive Housing PlatformHope NC's Collective Impact work 2025-2026
North Carolina's current housing system prioritizes institutions and group homes, which limits inclusive and affordable options for individuals who want to live independently. The IDEAL platform addressed these challenges by outlining three key priorities for change.
- Increasing the supply of inclusive housing within affordable housing developments.
- Expanding rental assistance programs that make housing affordable for people with I/DD.
- Ensuring stable support services so residents have what they need to thrive in their communities.
North Carolina Inclusive Housing Coalition
As part of our Collective Impact efforts, we have pulled together 30+ groups (made up of parent advocates and non-profits) working to develop housing for adults with I/DD across the state of NC. This coalition meets regularly to share resources, problem-solve and advocate for state resources to address this growing need. Are you interested in working on housing for adults with I/DD in NC?