Bipartisan bills address work, housing for disabled community

Lawmakers from across the aisle have come together on a pair of bills aimed at making work and housing more attainable for Ohioans with disabilities.

The first bill from Rep. Crystal Lett, D-Columbus, and Rep. Mike Odioso, R-Cincinnati, allows for a $20,000 unearned income disregard for the Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities and the Ohio WorkAbility programs (HB 581).

The issue was previously raised during operating budget (HB 96Track) discussions by disability rights advocate Connie Fraley. She told lawmakers that Ohio WorkAbility is a new category of Medicaid that allows certain employed disabled individuals who turn 65 while on Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities to continue working and to receive in-home nursing care services at an affordable out-of-pocket cost. (See Gongwer Ohio Report, May 6, 2025)

She explained Ohio WorkAbility already has a $20,000 earned income disregard, and she asked that the budget include a $20,000 unearned income disregard as well.

While she was unsuccessful in getting the provision into the budget, HB581 would fulfill her request.

Lett said in an interview that Fraley will begin receiving Social Security next year, which will bump her over the income limit to continue in the WorkAbility program and receive Medicaid. Were she to move to private insurance, the out-of-pocket costs for in-home care would eat the majority of her paycheck, Lett said.

“For her, it’s the difference between being able to continue to work or not,” she said. “I can’t stop thinking about Gov. DeWine’s State of the State address when he said he wanted to rebuild the workforce. I completely agree, and this is an opportunity to make sure folks with disabilities who want to are able to work and can continue to survive with the health care they need.”

Odioso called the proposal “a start” and said he would like to see the unearned income threshold be raised even higher.

“The unearned $20,000 will help,” he said, adding that it covers Social Security as well as passive investment profits.

“If we can get it passed, I think the same arguments should be made to increase it to $40,000 down the road, but I agree with this approach of taking it incrementally. It’s going to make a big difference.”

The second bill (HB 585) aims to strengthen and clarify the Department of Developmental Disabilities’ authority to manage community capital assistance funds, which can be used for supported living facilities.

Lett described supported living as a step between living in an intermediate care facility and living completely independently.

“Supported living is for folks in the moderate range of disabilities,” she said. “They want to live independently or have a roommate, but they need some kind of staffing in order to do so. This frees up money to be able to purchase supported living housing. Families are trying to do this together right now and it's really difficult.”

Lett explained that currently the process to release the funds is currently outlined in administrative code. The proposal would move it into statute and expand the types of housing eligible to receive the funding to also include accessory dwelling units, multi-structure dwellings and a broad array of mixed housing models.

Currently only single-family homes, duplexes, quadplexes, condominiums, permanently sited manufactured homes and newly constructed homes are permitted.

Odioso said the issue is that attempts to change the administrative code and to receive waivers from DODD to support various housing models for people with disabilities have been unsuccessful.

Lett said counties have also stopped investing in this type of housing.

“We want to bring it forward again and say, ‘We want you to use this money to purchase supported living,’” she said.

Odioso added: “It allows creativity and innovation to meet a desperate need. In my opinion, that’s where solutions lie, and it’s going to be cost effective for the entire state and the federal government to explore and encourage these other types of housing models.”

Odioso said he has been working with the agency on the legislation.

“This bill is going to lead to better community integration and independence for the community and is more of a long-term housing solution for these folks, with a lot of flexibility because the community is not a one-size-fits-all group.”

The bill has sponsor testimony scheduled for Tuesday before the House Community Revitalization Committee. HB581Track has been assigned to the Medicaid Committee.