June 3, 2005
The Honorable Kerry Healey
Office of the Governor
State House, Room 360
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Lieutenant Governor Healey,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with United Disability Housing Partnership last week. We appreciate the opportunity to talk about the need for safe, affordable, and accessible housing for persons with disabilities.
As we discussed during our meeting, although low-income and homeless persons with disabilities share a need for housing, a single model of housing cannot address all the needs of this population. Instead, it is important to construct a range of housing to provide choice for persons with disabilities.
Although there may be a great deal of variety in the types and models of housing for persons with disabilities, there are certain general principles that are imperative for such units to be appropriate.
- Accessibility: All units in affordable housing developments should be constructed with Universal Design Principles in mind. Adhering to these principles during the initial construction phase of new housing units adds only marginal costs to construction - in many cases approximately $200 per unit. Universal Design Principles allow units to be easily adapted to individual needs and can accommodate a wide range of abilities. The unit can be modified so that people can remain in place as they age or encounter physical disabilities.
- Location: Housing units for persons with disabilities must be located in areas accessible to transportation and services. In many cases, persons with disabilities are unable to drive, making isolated locations inappropriate. Locating housing for persons with disabilities near municipal centers and transportation lines is very much in line with Smart Growth proposals made by yourself and Governor Romney.
- Integration: Persons with disabilities should not and do not want to be isolated within housing developments. Particularly in large buildings, disability-designated units should make up a relatively small percentage of the total number of units in any given housing development. Additionally, disability units should be scattered throughout the development, not grouped together and isolated from the rest of the residents.
- Variety: Persons with disabilities have different preferences and needs regarding the type of housing in which they would like to live. Disability housing should be the full range of conventional and affordable housing types: condominiums, mid- and high-rise buildings, townhouses, garden apartments, and duplexes.
- Size: Disability housing should encompass a full range of unit sizes and configurations, from studios to three bedrooms, to maximize choice for individuals, families, roommates, and personal care attendants (PCAs).
- Rental Subsidies: Because persons with disabilities are disproportionately low-income, it is vital that rental subsidies are available. Monthly rent should not exceed 30% of their total income. For an individual relying exclusively on SSI, that would amount to approximately $200 per month. Given the state of the rental market in Massachusetts, it is impossible to overstate the importance of rental subsidies for persons with disabilities.
We look forward to discussing specific housing models for persons with disabilities, and the ways in which they meet, or fail to meet, the principles outlined above. We will be in touch with your office to schedule a time for a follow-up meeting.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned Members of United Disability Housing Partnership
cc: Christopher Barrett