Resources that Document the Need for Affordable, Accessible, Integrated Housing

1. O’Hara, A., Cooper, E., Zovistoski, A., Buttrick, J. (2007) Priced Out in 2006: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities. Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc., Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, Housing Task Force,. Retrieved September 13, 2008 from http://www.tacinc.org/Docs/HH/PricedOutIn2006.pdf

2. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2006) PROGRAMS OF HUD: Major Mortgage, Grant, Assistance, and Regulatory Programs

3. Smith, Stanley K., Rayer, Stefan and Smith, Eleanor A. (2008) “ Aging and Disability: Implications for the Housing Industry and Housing Policy in the United States”, Journal of the American Planning Association, 74:3, 289 — 306 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944360802197132

4. Nelson, Kathryn P., Office of Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “What do we know about shortages of affordable rental housing?: Testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee of Housing and Community Opportunity”, May 3, 2001

5. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research (2007), Affordable Housing Needs 2005: Report to Congress

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

Fair Housing Act (Title VIII)

Nature of Program: The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status (includes individuals or families with children under 18 years of age and pregnant women). The Fair Housing Act applies to almost all housing in the country.

According to HUD statistics, people with disabilities continue to be the group experiencing the greatest discrimination in housing. The forms this discrimination takes include refusal to rent to people with disabilities, refusal to allow service animals, refusal of reasonable accommodations/modifications, and design and construction of multifamily housing that does not meet the accessibility requirements contained in law.

Because of HUD’s poor track record on enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, grassroots community-based organizations across the country have partnered with Congress to introduce H.R.2926, The Housing Fairness Act of 2007. H.R. 2926 would double the allotment funding the community-based Fair Housing enforcement organizations that have valiantly tried to pick up HUD’s slack.

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