There being no evident Social Security updates yet for June we’re going to have a look at a state-run project that provides a housing option for individuals with disabilities.

Project Home, also known as the Certified Adult Residential Environment (CARE) project, or alternatively Project (CARE) Home, is designed to provide adults with a disability, be it mental or physical or both, and who cannot completely care for themselves a chance to live in the community as a resident in the home of a certified care provider. The provider works in concert with case workers from the local Department of Social Services office to make sure that the adults in his care are assisted in activities of daily living, as well as some limited help with taking medications. Residents are also assisted in getting to medical appointments, but they also get to do fun stuff too, and should be able to truly live proper and meaningful lives away from the institutional setting of nursing homes or Assisted Living Units.

Residents contribute financially to their cost of care, but funding is also provided through Public Assistance to Adults (PAA) which has certain income limits depending on the level of care that an individual is receiving. Here there are four levels. PAA provides up to $776 a month for those in the lowest, Level A, category; $875 for Level B; $1,173 for Level C; and up to $1,376 for those in Level D, the category for those who need the greatest assistance. Despite the marked increase in cost of living over the past few years those figures have remained unmoved since 2016. The resource limit remains set at $2.000. If a resident qualifies for PAA he will also get a monthly allowance of $82 and, more helpfully, eligibility for Medical Assistance.

The State of Maryland’s Department of Human Services has produced this brochure aimed at potential providers: Project-Home.pdf (maryland.gov) and you can read more about Project Home on their webpage here Project Home – Maryland Department of Human Services