Identifying Boarding Homes Housing the Needy Aged, Blind, and Disabled: A Major Step Toward Resolving a National Problem

Countless needy aged, blind, and disabled persons receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) live in boarding homes. In 1976, Congress enacted a section of the Social Security Act which required the states to establish, maintain, and ensure enforcement of standards for facilities, such as boarding homes, in which significant numbers of SSI recipients reside or are likely to reside. However, while many of these persons are abused and exploited by unscrupulous operators, state and local licensing inspection officials do not know the location of the homes.