AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY:

FROM BAD TO WORSE IN A TIGHT U.S. HOUSING MARKET 

Further compounding the catastrophic situation, surveys of housing stock show less than five percent of it is move-in ready accessible to people with disabilities. 

Less than one percent of housing is wheelchair accessible and virtually all of that is in multifamily housing. 

Accessible housing features a zero-step entrance, accessible restroom, wider doors, lowered counters and sinks in the kitchen/bath, and other features to accommodate reduced mobility due to aging or disability.

Senator Bob Casey, Democratic chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, held a hearing this summer to sound the alarm over the lack of affordable, accessible housing.

“Stable, high-quality housing is an essential human need and the foundation of community well-being,” Casey said in an interview via email.

“But for millions of Americans, adequate housing is more of an aspiration than a reality. In particular, far too many older adults and people with disabilities cannot afford accessible housing. 

That’s why I introduced the Visitable Inclusive Tax Credit for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act, which would ensure that we are increasing the amount of accessible housing available for people with disabilities and older adults to meet their needs. 

Investments in accessible housing are central to guaranteeing better outcomes in health and satisfaction for older adults and people with disabilities.”