(Member)

04/19/10 11:40 PM

Building subsidized housing and ADA rules

The City of Buffalo NY is spending a lot on building houses.

http://www.buffalonews.com/specialreports/thehousesthatcityhallbuilt/

I've seen the houses at Sycamore Village and thought
Wow new homes and totally inaccessible.
I was disappointed to learn the city is building them.
Does the city has to follow any of the ADA rules when building
subsidized housing? Have not found anything definitive
on the HUD site yet.

They spend a lot of money on housing and they can spend it wisely to
accommodate the disabled and aging population.

(Member)

04/20/10 11:12 AM

Re: Building subsidized housing and ADA rules

It's been ages since I was involved in anything like this, but back in the day before the ADA it all depended on the type of development under HUD rules. Even saw completely accessible buildings where PWD under 65 were shut out.

(Member)

04/21/10 05:36 AM

Re: Building subsidized housing and ADA rules

many accessible bldgs here that are HUD subsidized are not available to those under a certain age. it really sucks!

(Member)

01/11/11 12:52 AM

Re: Building subsidized housing and ADA rules

the new housing must be accessible under the Rehabilitation Act and FHA. At least 5% of the units should be made accessible for individuals with motor disabilities and 2% of the units should be made accessible to individuals with vision and hearing impairments

are you interested in purchasing or residing in these houses? Or are you familiar with any disability rights organization? They should be stopped.

If what you are saying is correct (the news article is not available), this is totally outrageous.

Work and family keep me very busy, therefore, I unfortunately have not been on the new mobility forum for more than one year. Therefore, if you have any questions, you can e-mail me at James@CivilRightsNY.com

(Junior Member)

02/08/11 07:05 AM

Re: Building subsidized housing and ADA rules

Morning Rich,I too was unable to view the story but spoke with some Erie county people several years ago regarding housing for Seniors and PWD. Seems Buffalo has some of the oldest housing stock in the nation and really not conducive to renovation or adaptation, therefore they are removing a great deal of older homes. I live in Rochester and we too often deal with the lack of accessible housing, always seems the bare minimum is provided in most cases- in others...they are quite impressive. I often try to encourage private investors to adopt universal design as an approach to developing much needed housing. From what I've read over the past several years, more accessible housing will be developed within many of the housing projects but no where near what's needed. I believe it will take a small group of private investors who truly care about accessibility to develop their own community that's 100% accessible. I've been providing home modifications for close to 30 years now to seniors and PWD and hope to someday see it happen.

(Junior Member)

03/02/11 10:33 PM

Re: Building subsidized housing and ADA rules

HI,
I have run into many "ADA" buildings, and they just aren't! Especially the ladies room, you can get through the door, and actually get in to some of the stalls, but...you can't close the door for privacy! My personal favorite was a hotel in Philadelphia, an absolutely gorgeous historic building..marble on the walls of the bathroom. They put in the shower bench at the back of the tub...the shower head was left up high, and from the bench, I couldn't turn on the water. So, I was able to get into the tub, but couldn't take a shower. I was on a business trip, and had to ask one of my colleagues to help. While on that topic, why in the world do they put the darn beds up so high?? I almost slept in my w/c, as I was afraid to transfer, fall and break something. I swear, from Atlanta, GA to DFW there are slim pickins if you want to go the ladies room, AND have privacy!