Everyone should have a place to call their own, where they feel comfortable and safe. But for many people with disabilities, even this basic need is out of reach. Laws like the Fair Housing Act prohibit discrimination in the sale or renting of a home, but people with disabilities still experience high levels of housing instability. In 2010, at least 42% of the homeless population had disabilities, and that number has only continued to grow.
There are several barriers that contribute to this statistic. Many people with disabilities live below the poverty line. It is difficult for them to find work, and often the work often pays a sub-minimum wage. Many people have higher than average medical costs or are prevented from consistently working because of their health. Those who are not working receive government benefits, but these are often a barrier in themselves since the government only allows those receiving benefits to retain limited assets. So, if an emergency arises, they have little to no safety net. All these factors combine to price many people with disabilities out of the housing market altogether.
If someone can buy or rent a home, there is still the issue of accessible housing. There are rules about making multi-family housing accessible, but they apply to buildings built after 1991. This also only applies to buildings with 4+ units and does little for older buildings that make up much of the housing market. Landlords and building owners are also often unwilling to undertake changes to their properties to make them more accessible.
Furthermore, housing policy is only partially effective. Discrimination still happens during the rental or home-buying process. People find creative ways to keep people with disabilities out of their development, and are sometimes reluctant to work with people receiving benefits. The combination of availability, affordability and accessibility paints a grim picture for housing for people with disabilities, yet this is a fight that must be won.
Housing and independence
Housing is one of the core components of independent living. People with disabilities want to live independently in their own homes. They want to have a place that is theirs, to have autonomy and agency in their own lives, and to participant in programs in their community. There is a long and grim history of people being removed from their homes and institutionalized because of disability—a history ta barriers we are still working to overcome today. Even now, because of lack of support, many end up in group homes or other institutions where abuse and mistreatment run rampant.
This loss of control and agency has a profound effect on mental health. The inability to access basic services, transportation, employment, and finally affordable and accessible housing has a compounding impact on the persons experiencing those barriers. Despite these challenges, by working to remove barriers to affordable and accessible housing, such as zoning changes that put special interests first, long-term strategic planning in communities without the input of persons with disabilities, many can live independent lives − but change is needed − community and systemic advocacy efforts must maintain a strong and united front.
Systemic changes for housing Equality
Most of the necessary changes must occur at a systemic level. As mentioned above, there are already policies that should prevent housing discrimination. But if policies like the Fair Housing Act are going to be effective, they must be promoted and enforced. Inclusion and accessibility must be actively encouraged. Government bodies should incentivize the creation of accessible housing and provide more assistance for updating the existing homes that make up the bulk of the market. There also must be more checks in place to ensure that property owners can’t work around anti-discrimination policies
Community and individual advocacy
Many of these changes take time. But communities can start on a smaller scale. Local agencies must get involved. Homeless shelters must be made accessible, keeping people in their homes must become an achievable goal, and there should be community-centered efforts to adapt housing for everyone. Since anyone can become disabled at any point, designing homes and other spaces to accommodate all needs from the start, a concept called universal design, will ultimately benefit everyone.
Individually, the best thing people can do is be vocal about housing equality. If someone sees this happening in their community, they should file a complaint with Housing and Urban Development (HUD). People with disabilities are constantly having to advocate for themselves. Adding more voices draws more attention to the issue, but also reminds people that they have a support system. It is in no one’s best interest to allow discrimination; everyone wins if landlords treat all tenants with equality and respect and property developers embrace accessibility codes instead of dodging them.
Intersectionality and the future of housing access
The barriers that exclude people with disabilities from essential parts of independent living, including education, employment, and transportation all overlap, but this is most apparent in housing. Housing dictates where someone can study and work and dictates how much access they have to transportation. The intersection of all these factors makes persistent advocacy on this issue non-negotiable. People with disabilities who want to live in their own homes should be able to do so without fear of displacement, removal, and homelessness. Everyone should have a home that fulfills their needs, where they are safe and secure. And only active and consistent advocacy from people with disabilities and their allies will ensure that this basic right is available to everyone.
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