Breaking Down Walls: How Cities Are Tackling Accessible Housing Challenges for People with Disabilities

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Housing represents more than just shelter—it's foundational to independence, community participation, and quality of life. Yet for nearly 25% of American adults living with disabilities, finding appropriate housing remains a profound challenge marked by both systemic barriers and persistent discrimination.

Our deep dive reveals a troubling reality: despite decades of protective legislation like the Fair Housing Act amendments and the Americans with Disabilities Act, disability-based discrimination accounts for over half of all housing complaints filed annually. The dual barriers of insufficient accessible housing stock and discriminatory practices by housing providers create a perfect storm that leaves many disabled Americans without suitable living options.

We explore how cities across America are pioneering innovative solutions to this crisis. Alameda, California has implemented a forward-thinking universal design ordinance requiring all new multi-unit developments to incorporate accessibility features from the ground up. Chicago's HomeMod program takes a different approach by subsidizing modifications to existing homes, helping residents with disabilities remain in their communities. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has established a dedicated compliance office to help disabled individuals navigate housing systems and advocate for their specific needs.

These city-level innovations offer a blueprint for addressing this nationwide challenge through multiple approaches: mandating universal design in new construction, increasing subsidies for home modifications, strengthening discrimination enforcement, and creating better information systems to connect people with accessible units. We also touch on market-based solutions that complement policy efforts, highlighting how individual action and entrepreneurship can contribute to expanding housing options for disabled Americans.

The path forward requires aligning policy levers, market forces, community awareness, and individual actions toward a common goal—ensuring that everyone, regardless of disability status, has access to housing that is truly adequate, accessible, and affordable. Join us as we examine how these interconnected approaches might finally bridge the persistent gap between housing rights and housing realities for millions of Americans with disabilities.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, let's dive in.
Here's a statistic that reallyjumps out at me Nearly one in
four adults in the US lives withsome kind of disability.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Yeah, that's right.
It's a huge number when youactually stop and think about it
, not a small group at all.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Definitely not.
And for this pretty big sliceof the population there's this
recurring challenge rightfinding housing, not just any
housing, but places that areactually adequate and accessible
and affordable too.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Exactly, it's such a fundamental need, isn't it?
But, like you said, one wherepeople hit some serious
roadblocks.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
And that's really the core of our deep dive today,
isn't it?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
It is.
We're looking at this wholeissue and we're using a piece
from the National League ofCities as our guide,
Specifically an article by SamCharlton that really focuses on
housing for individuals withdisabilities.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Okay, so our plan is to unpack what the source says
on the main issues, look at thelegal side of things and then
see what cities are actuallydoing, maybe some potential next
steps, all based on this NLCarticle.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
That's the plan Get into the weeds of what this
source tells us.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
All right.
So, according to the article,what are the biggest hurdles?
What do people withdisabilities really come up
against looking for a place?

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Well, the piece really points to two main things
, and they're kind of linked.
First, maybe the most obviousone, is just a basic shortage
Not enough housing out therethat's both accessible and
affordable.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
OK, supply and cost Makes sense.
What's the second thing?

Speaker 2 (01:27):
The second one is, well frankly, discrimination
from landlords, housingproviders.
It's still a major issue.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Discrimination?
Wow, that sounds incrediblyserious.
Does the article give us asense of how big that problem is
?

Speaker 2 (01:41):
It does, yeah, and the numbers are pretty stark
actually.
It cites the 2022 Fair HousingTrends Report and it says that
discrimination based ondisability get this accounted
for over half.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
Over half.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, more than 50 percent of all fair housing
complaints filed that year.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Whoa.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's kind of well disheartening, you know, that
it's still so widespread, evenwith laws meant to stop it.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Over half.
You'd really think, with biglaws like you know the Fair
Housing Act, the ADA that thiswould be less common now.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
That's what you'd hope, right, and the article
does lay out that legalbackground.
It mentions the Fair HousingAct amendments in 88.
That was huge because it wasthe first time people with
disabilities were explicitlynamed a protected class in
housing.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Right 1988.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
And then the ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act
, came along in 1990.
That required accessible commonareas like lobbies and hallways
and also certain adaptablefeatures inside apartments in
new builds.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Okay, so those are major pieces of legislation.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Absolutely critical steps.
But, like the article pointsout, even with these laws on the
books for decades, people withdisabilities are still facing
huge struggles finding asuitable place to live today.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
So that really begs the question, doesn't it?
If the laws are there, why isthis still such a big problem?
Is it enforcement awareness?
Just not enough accessibleplaces being built?

Speaker 2 (02:58):
That is the million dollar question.
The article sort of leaveshanging there, you know why, the
gap between law and reality.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
OK, so given that gap , the article then looks at what
cities are doing right, tryingto bridge it.
Maybe.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Exactly.
Yeah, it's just some concreteexamples, highlights a few
cities taking differentapproaches.
Let's hear about them.
What about Alameda, California?
What does the article say?
They did so, Alameda?
They went for a reallyproactive strategy focused on
new buildings right from thestart.
They put in place what's calleda universal design ordinance.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Universal design.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah, it applies to new residential projects with
more than five units and itmandates that 100% of those new
units have to be universallyvisitable.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Okay, visitable, and there's another term.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Right and 30% have to be universally habitable.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
What's the difference there, according to the source
Visitable versus habitable?

Speaker 2 (03:49):
Good question, so visitable.
The article explains means thebasics are accessible the main
entrance you can get aroundinside the main living area and
there's at least one accessiblebathroom.
Ok.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Habitable goes further For that 30 percent.
It means you also need auniversally accessible kitchen,
at least one bedroom and thelaundry area, all on the ground
floor.
Ah, okay, so it's about morecore living functions being
accessible.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Exactly, and the idea is you build more accessible
stock from the get-go which, asthe article notes, could cut
down on costly renovations later.
And maybe, just maybe, it helpswith that discrimination issue
too, If landlords don't seeaccessibility as this big,
expensive add-on they have todeal with after the fact.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
That makes sense.
Build in from the start.
Ok.
What about Chicago?
The article mentioned them too.
Different approach.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Yeah, Chicago focused more on the existing housing,
specifically helping low-incomeresidents with disabilities make
their current homes work forthem.
They have this program calledHomeMod.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
HomeMod.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Right, and it basically subsidizes those
essential modifications, youknow, putting in ramps, rolling
showers, widening doorways,maybe lowering counters or sinks
.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
So helping people stay in place, essentially.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
Exactly.
They partner with licensedremodelers and they can work
either through the landlord ordirectly with the tenants if
they're low income and eligible.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
That seems really practical, directly tackling the
cost barrier for people whoneed changes right now.
And the third city example wasPittsburgh.
What was their angle?

Speaker 2 (05:17):
according to the article, Pittsburgh took more of
a systems approach.
They set up a specific office,a disability compliance office.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
Okay, what does that office do?

Speaker 2 (05:27):
The article describes it as sort of a navigator or an
advocate.
Really, its main job is to helppeople with disabilities,
especially if they're alsoelderly or low income, connect
with the housing programs andservices they need.

Speaker 1 (05:39):
So helping people find the right resources.

Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, like maybe working with the housing
authority to make sure thefeatures in a particular unit
actually meet someone's specificaccessibility needs, helping
cut through red tape, basically.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
It's interesting how these three cities took such
different paths.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
It really is.
You've got Alameda focused onfuture supply with design codes,
Chicago on making current homeswork with modifications, and
Pittsburgh on navigating theexisting support systems,
tackling different pieces of thepuzzle.

Speaker 1 (06:09):
So, based on these examples and just the overall
picture in the article, whatdoes the source suggest?
Other places, cities, towns,villages should think about
doing.
What are the next steps?

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Well, the article pulls together a few clear
recommendations from thesemodels.
It suggests, you know,encouraging or even requiring
universal design in new buildslike Alameda.
Boost the supply of accessibleplaces from the start.

Speaker 1 (06:33):
Okay, mandate design standards.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
Right and also increase the subsidies for
modifications, like Chicago'sprogram to help with existing
housing.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
More money for retrofits, got it.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, and then it stresses improving the systems
to catch and act ondiscrimination by landlords or
developers.
It's still a huge piece.

Speaker 1 (06:51):
Better enforcement or identification of
discrimination, oridentification of discrimination
Exactly.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
And finally, just making information better,
making it easier for people withdisabilities to actually find
the accessible units that areavailable, like a better
database or listing service.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
Okay, that gives us a pretty clear picture from the
NLC article the scale of theproblem, the laws, what some
cities are trying.
But what does this mean for you?
Listening?
Maybe you're hearing this andthinking about how you could get
involved or, you know, addressthis need.
The article focuses a lot onpolicy, government action, but
there are other ways people arelooking at this, including

(07:28):
market-based approaches.
That's true.
Solutions can come fromdifferent directions.
If exploring how individualscan contribute to the specific
housing need is something you'reinterested in, maybe even
thinking about passive incomestreams focused on this, well,
there are resources out there.

(07:48):
For instance, one companyworking in this space is Flowers
Associates Property Rentals.
Their focus is specifically onspecial needs housing.
If that's an area you want tolearn more about, you could
reach out to them.
Their number is 901-621-3544.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
So looking beyond just policy for solutions.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
Exactly, and, speaking of that, I actually
picked up a book recently thatties into this.
It's by Robert Flowers and it'scalled the Joy of Helping
Others Creating Passive IncomeStreams Through Special Needs
Housing.
I bought it myself on Amazonand, honestly, I found it really
insightful.
It gives you a perspective onhow you can approach this market
, but not just as a businessthing, you know, really focusing

(08:23):
on providing quality neededhousing for folks.
So if this is an area you'recurious about, I definitely
recommend checking it out.
It was a good read.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
Interesting resource.

Speaker 1 (08:32):
So, okay, we've covered quite a bit today, based
on this National League ofCities piece, the sheer size of
the housing challenge for peoplewith disabilities.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah, the laws that are supposed to help, but the
persistent problems of notenough supply and ongoing
discrimination.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
And then these creative approaches Cities are
trying universal design,subsidies, better navigation.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Different strategies trying to make a dent in the
problem.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
Right.
So when you think about all ofthis, that one in four statistic
, the laws, the city efforts,even these potential market or
individual approaches we justtouched on, it really brings up
a bigger question, doesn't it?

Speaker 2 (09:11):
Where do we go from here?
How do we make it all workbetter?

Speaker 1 (09:14):
Exactly Given everything the article lays out,
the discrimination stats, thesupply issues, that just won't
go away.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
And considering all these different tools.
We've talked about policymandates like universal design,
financial help like subsidies,better enforcement, clear
information, maybe even thosemarket-based solutions.

Speaker 1 (09:31):
Yeah, the big question for you to maybe think
about is this how can all thesedifferent approaches, the policy
levers, the market forces,community awareness, individual
action, how can they actuallywork together more effectively?

Speaker 2 (09:45):
How do we align everything to really move the
needle to make sure thateveryone, regardless of
disability, truly has access tohousing that's not just there
but is actually adequate andaccessible for them?

Speaker 1 (09:57):
Something to ponder as you go about your day.
That's our deep dive for today.