TALKS 12: Housing Challenges and People with Developmental Disabilities

A place to call home, one that is truly safe and reliable, is the foundation of well-being. But, housing instability ripples out into every part of one’s life, from physical and mental health to financial growth.

For people with developmental disabilities (DD), living independently can be the first step to a life of dignity and fulfillment. But, unfortunately the barriers to achieving stable housing can seem almost insurmountable when you have a DD. As a population that is already disproportionately low-income, the lack of affordable housing is just the start. Many options are not accessible and the path to housing support can be really confusing.

Housing Challenges and People with Developmental Disabilities explores four perspectives in the largely untold story of the ongoing housing crisis in the United States, shedding light on the unique issues faced by individuals with developmental disabilities and their advice on how to make meaningful change.

Why you should listen
•Hear first-hand accounts from people with DD and their struggle to find affordable, accessible housing in Colorado;
•Gain insight into the significant barriers people with DD face in navigating the housing system;
•Learn about the heightened effects that housing instability has on those with DDs; and
•Understand the need for the disability perspective when it comes to the government’s response to the housing crisis.

Who should listen
•Advocates and activists fighting for accessible and affordable housing;
•Policy-makers addressing the housing crisis;
•Real-Estate and Housing Professionals endeavoring to create an equitable housing market;
•Community members invested in equity work; and
•Social workers and crisis response teams.