What if people with disabilities could use their Medicaid for housing?

Some Adults with disabilities are often forced to live with their parents in low-income apartments, which are senior citizen apartments when there is not even a senior citizen or, even worst, nursing home.

I know I almost found myself in a nursing home. I was 24 years old and living with my moms. I had nowhere to go because I had a disability and no job on social security. On top of all that, I was dealing with family issues.

Luckily I found a low-income apartment. As I write this, I’m forty and about to turn forty-one. Sure, I’m not a senior citizen, but considering that I almost ended up in a nursing home, this arrangement doesn’t seem that bad.

In California, lawmakers are using Medicaid money for less fortunate people, like people at risk of being homeless. They also want to give people coming out of prison and foster care opportunities to live in their own homes.

Giving people the opportunity to live in a house would, in a way, be a little bit healthier for people with disabilities. When the weather is cold, and you live in a low-income apartment, you are forced to have hot, dry air over you, which causes dry eyes. When the weather is cold, you are forced two inhale unfiltered cold air, which makes you cough. But you could open a window, which would help.

Only two states are expanding Medicaid for such programs (Arizona and Oregon).

Unfortunately, when it comes to Medicaid, it’s on a state-by-state basis. Every state has different rules for what Medicaid covers. I wouldn’t say I like it, as a person born with a disability, I feel everything could be better.

We just had an election not too long ago. This election in the Michigan legislation almost turns entirely democrate.

So far, at least to my knowledge has not had any bill yet proposed that would help people with disabilities. However, there is still time for our state legislators to pass a bill to help people with disabilies; the question is will they make it at priority?

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