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Targeting Program: how North Carolina places adults with disabilities (including IDD) into LIHTC units
Summary
The Targeting Program sets aside LIHTC units (10% required) for adults with disabilities and relies on approved referral agencies to submit packets and support tenants; the program is adding IDD data fields to referral forms to better track outcomes.
Deitra Purcell, section chief of housing programs at the North Carolina DHHS Division of Aging, outlined the Targeting Program, which partners with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) to set aside targeted units in low‑income housing tax credit (LIHTC) developments. "The targeting program is a permanent supportive housing program that is for adults with disabilities and is implemented through a partnership with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency," she said.
Under program guidelines, LIHTC developers must set aside 10% of total units for targeting program participants; property owners may voluntarily set aside up to 20%. Eligible people are adult heads of household (18+) with a disability whose income meets program thresholds: generally under 50% of area median income (AMI) or at/below 30% AMI when HUD subsidies apply. Deitra noted applicants can select up to 20 properties when referred and that approved referral agencies (ARAs) submit packets to program housing assessors, who verify eligibility and place applicants on property wait lists.
Deitra described the ARA approval process: agencies contact program staff, review expectations, identify primary and backup contacts, sign an agreement (not a funding contract) and complete quarterly trainings before making referrals. The program does not accept self‑referrals; instead, individuals and nonapproved agencies are guided to local resources while they connect with an approved referral partner.
Deitra acknowledged a data gap around tracking applicants with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). "We are working on capturing that IDD data starting with the referral packets," she said, and reported that from January to May this year, 11 Money Follows the Person (MFP) referrals were also identified as IDD. She said the program has implemented a priority population list (TCL first, then MFP, people who are homeless with disabilities, then general disability population) to help meet North Carolina's Olmstead settlement obligations and prioritize transitions from institutional settings.
In question and answer, Deitra confirmed the Division of Aging has no additional grant dollars to distribute to housing service organizations (state appropriations are fixed) and said tenants may terminate provider services and remain in their homes, though staff try to reconnect providers when tenancy issues threaten housing stability.
The presenters said slides and a recording will be posted and that approved referral agencies can contact the targeting program for onboarding information.
