Achieva Support

Achieva is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates with, empowers, and supports people with disabilities and their families throughout their lives.

Founded 75 years ago by families determined to ensure their children had equal opportunities, Achieva has grown into the region’s only organization providing lifelong disability supports. Each year, we serve more than 10,000 individuals and families.

A Home of My Own

Your support on Pittsburgh’s Critical Needs Alert Day of Giving supports Achieva’s A Home of My Own program, which helps people with disabilities secure and maintain safe, affordable, and accessible housing in the community of their choice.

For people living on fixed incomes, housing costs and upfront expenses can be major barriers to independence. A Home of My Own helps bridge that gap.

The Need: Housing Barriers Put Independence at Risk

For people with disabilities living on fixed incomes such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the path to housing is often blocked by rising rents, security deposits, application fees, and utility costs. Even when housing is available, these upfront expenses can delay or prevent someone from moving into a safe, accessible home.

Pennsylvania’s affordable housing crisis has made these challenges even more urgent. Over the past decade, median rents have increased by hundreds of dollars, and roughly one in four households now spends 30% or more of their income on housing. For people whose primary income is SSI, even modest rent increases can make independent living out of reach without additional support.

How the Program Helps

Achieva Housing Specialists help people identify and apply for affordable, accessible housing, assist with budgeting and move-in costs, teach independent living skills, and connect people to transportation and community resources, while providing up to one year of post-move-in support to promote stability. The program also partners with landlords to expand access to inclusive housing opportunities.

Why It Matters

Safe, stable housing is the foundation of independence. With your support, more people with disabilities can move into homes of their own, build essential life skills, and remain stably housed in their communities.