FAQs

The Federal Government’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 is a major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private market.

All of the apartments at Creative Living benefit from a HUD Section 8 subsidy contract.

HUD provides financial assistance to help low-income individuals and families afford housing. Each person's rent is determined by a computation that factors in their gross income and allowable deductions to arrive at a monthly adjusted income amount, of which they pay 30%, on average. HUD will pay (subsidize) the remainder of the rental cost.

Creative Living residents are as unique as their disability stories.  Given our close proximity to The Ohio State University and other schools and vocational training programs, physically-disabled adults who wish to pursue educational or vocational opportunities are most at home at our two communities.

Creative Living employs a three-step application process.

1. Interested candidates should call our office to determine if they meet HUD's initial criteria for residency.  These include:

• Have a low, very low or extremely low income
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be disabled - defined as: A person having an impairment, which (a) is expected to be of long, continued and indefinite duration, (b) substantially impedes his/her ability to live independently and (c) is of such nature that such disability could be improved by more suitable housing conditions.

2. If a candidate meets these three criteria, a personal interview will be scheduled with members of our Resident Selection Committee.  This is our opportunity to share more about our organization and learn about the candidate's desire to live at Creative Living.

3. Once provided an application packet, interested candidates are required to submit the completed application, including the names and contact information of references, and submit to credit and background checks.

Once an applicant is approved for residency, a certification process will be required to determine the tenant's rent.  Once the rent is figured, a lease and HUD paperwork needs to be signed in duplicate and the following are due:

1. A security deposit equal to the first month’s rent or $50, whichever is greater.
2. The first month’s rent.
3. $200 for the first month’s Resident Assistance Program fee.

Creative Living is not a medical, nursing or assisted living facility.  Therefore, no medical personnel are on duty.

The Resident Assistance Program at Creative Living delivers peace-of-mind and non-medical assistance 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year to assist with incidentals and emergencies.  Resident assistants are reached via intercom call pads in each apartment and may aid with things like removing a jacket, grabbing an item off of a shelf, transferring from wheelchair to bed or vice versa, carrying groceries or taking out the trash, among many other needs. This invaluable service bridges the gap between the time a personal care attendant might spend with residents and the remaining hours of the day.

Each resident pays $200 per month as a fee for this unique and invaluable program.  The fee translates into a mere $6.58 a day for 24-hour, on-call service.

Creative Living is a 501(c )(3) non-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees and managed by a professional staff.

Creative Living receives approximately one-third of our income from HUD rent subsidies, one-third from resident rent and fees and one-third from charitable contributions and fundraisers.

Like any organization, sustaining our mission requires funding.  While our residents do pay rent and a portion of the cost to operate our Resident Assistance Program, the remainder of our expenses are funded by the proceeds of fundraising events and direct contributions from Creative Living friends, corporations and foundations.

Making a gift to our organization is easy!  To contribute online, click the "Donate" button at the top of this page.  You may also send a contribution via US Mail to our offices at 150 W. 10th Ave. Columbus, OH 43201.