Advocacy

2026 applications opening soon.

Advocacy for Integrated, Affordable Housing for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

The Fairview Trust is committed to improving housing opportunities for people with an intellectual or developmental disability in Oregon. Our goal is to create 250 new units of integrated, affordable housing for people with I/DD by 2030. At least 25% of the units will be in rural or other underserved areas. 

Overview

Public policy plays a central role in determining whether people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can access and maintain integrated housing. For many years, the Fairview Trust prioritized advocacy that expanded the supply of new housing units for people with IDD. These efforts helped advance policies and partnerships that increased development activity and strengthened the foundation for integrated housing across Oregon. 

The policy environment has since shifted. State and federal budget pressures, combined with growing demand for services, have increased the risk of reductions to the public programs that support independent living in the community. In particular, Medicaid-funded services that enable individuals with IDD to live outside institutional settings are under sustained fiscal pressure. Without these supports, housing access to integrated housing could plummet. 

In response, the Trust is recalibrating its advocacy funding. While we remain committed to expanding access to integrated housing, our near-term policy support will prioritize protecting funding streams that make independent living possible. This includes, in particular, Medicaid’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and categorical eligibility policies, that determine access to those services for people with IDD. Changes to these programs can have immediate and significant consequences for housing stability and community integration. 

The Trust continues to view the voices of self-advocates and families as essential to effective policy change. Building the capacity of self-advocates to engage in housing and disability policy remains a core priority, both as a matter of equity and because self-advocates are the most credible and compelling messengers for policies that support independent living. Similarly, families of children with IDD stand to lose access to vital Medicaid funded services and are uniquely situated to discuss the impact of service cuts.  

Finally, the Trust remains open to supporting advocacy that expands access to integrated housing and strengthens the overall housing system. However, the balance of funding in this grant cycle will prioritize efforts that protect existing investments in Medicaid-funded community-based services and ensure that people with IDD can continue to live safely and independently in integrated housing. 

The Trust will support up to $200,000 in grants over two years during this grant cycle. After this year, we plan to fund advocacy on a biennial schedule and would thus open a new advocacy grant cycle in 2028. 

Intended Outcomes

Applications should pursue one or more of the following outcomes.  

  • Increased Policymaker Understanding: 
    Policymakers and public officials demonstrate a stronger understanding of how housing, services, and eligibility policies work together to support integrated, affordable, and accessible housing for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). This includes improved awareness of the role of community-based services in enabling individuals to live independently in the community. 

  • Favorable Policy Environment: 
    Public education, coalition building, and communications efforts contribute to a stable and informed policy environment that supports continued access to integrated housing and the community-based services that sustain independent living for people with IDD. 

  • Increased Self-Advocate and Family Participation and Strengthened Advocacy Skills: 
    Self-advocates play a meaningful role in policy discussions related to housing access and independent living, supported by training, leadership development, and opportunities to engage with policymakers and community partners. These efforts strengthen the capacity of self-advocates and family members to share their experiences, inform decision-making, and contribute to long-term systems change. 

 Potential Activities

The Trust is prepared to support a range of nonpartisan activities that strengthen understanding of the policies and public programs that support Medicaid funded independent living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in integrated housing. Examples of eligible activities include: 

  • Policymaker Education and Engagement: Providing nonpartisan education to policymakers, agency staff, and community leaders on the housing and service needs of people with IDD, including the role of home and community-based services in supporting independent living. Activities may include briefings, testimony, site visits, and educational events led in partnership with self-advocates, family members, and community organizations. 

  • Technical Assistance and Policy Analysis: Synthesizing and translating existing research and data on Medicaid and HCBS cuts to equip Oregon policymakers, advocates, and partners with clear, actionable information specific to Oregon's context. This includes distilling national and state-level analysis into accessible materials that can be used to make the case for protecting home and community-based services that support integrated, affordable housing for people with IDD. 

  • Self-Advocate Leadership and Participation: Supporting self-advocates and family members to actively participate in policy discussions, public education efforts, and coalition activities. This may include leadership development, peer training, and opportunities for self-advocates and family members to share personal experience with policymakers and community stakeholders. 

  • Coalition Building and Partnership Development: Leading or participating in coalitions, advisory groups, and cross-sector partnerships that strengthen collaboration between housing organizations, service providers, and the IDD community, and that promote coordinated approaches to protecting housing access. 

  • Resource and Tool Development: Creating and disseminating educational materials, guidance documents, or other tools developed in collaboration with self-advocates and family members to support public understanding of how Medicaid funded home and community-based services support independent living for people with IDD.  

Application

Please fill out the application form questions and attach the required documents before submitting. Complete applications will be reviewed by the Fairview Trust Advisory Board and will include both qualitative and quantitative analysis. A scoring reference is included as a part of the application packet. Recommendations for funding will be made by the Fairview Trust Advisory Board. The Oregon Community Foundation’s Board has final decision-making authority.

Required Attachments

The following must be attached to your application.

  • Project budget showing how our funds would be allocated. (Please use the budget spreadsheet.)

  • List of current board members, and bios

  • Most recent audited financial statements

  • 501(c)(3) tax-exemption letter from the IRS

How the Applications will be Evaluated

The scoring rubric is available for download here.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please send an email to: fairview@droregon.org.