For almost forty years, cities that accept HUD funding have been required, by law, to ensure their new affordable housing units are accessible to disabled people. In theory, this means disabled people have the right to safe and independent living. However, the enforcement of this law often doesn’t happen locally.
A 2020 report from Apartment List showed that only nine percent of households with a disabled member live in accessible homes. Considering that more than fifteen percent of American households include someone with a disability, the fact that only six percent of homes meet basic accessibility standards is a serious failure. This isn’t just a statistic. It impacts everything. It influences how you interpret listings, and limits your housing options
Watching local governments treat accessibility as optional is discouraging. They accept federal funds and promise to follow laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, and Section 504. Ultimately, though, they often fail to enforce them. Construction plans are approved without thorough accessibility assessments, occupancy permits are issued without barrier inspections, and accessible units aren’t tracked or reserved for those who need them. When advocates raise these issues, officials often downplay the violations or say the building is “almost compliant.”
But “almost compliant” isn’t enough. A doorway that’s too narrow isn’t just a minor oversight. A bathroom that’s unsafe to enter isn’t just inconvenient. Missing signs or visual fire alarms aren’t trivial details. For disabled people, not including these details can mean the difference between life and death.
Two cases in Los Angeles and Chicago show how widespread this problem is. Disability rights groups spent years documenting barriers and urging officials to take action. Both cities admitted they didn’t inspect for accessibility or keep records of accessible units. Thousands of HUD-funded units are inaccessible making them unusable for the people they were meant to serve.
These cases resulted in the biggest settlements in the country regarding accessible affordable housing. Los Angeles promised to create 4,000 accessible units and overhaul its housing program. Chicago agreed to identify, build, or renovate 2,800 accessible units and set new policies to prevent future violations. A federal judge made it clear: once a city accepts HUD funds, its entire affordable housing program must follow disability rights laws.
For disabled people like me, this ruling is vital. It confirms what we’ve been saying for decades: accessibility isn’t a favor; it’s a civil right. When cities don’t enforce that right, disabled people are left behind.
Sources:
Allen, Michael. “The Accessibility Rules Were There. The Enforcement Wasn’t.” Shelterforce, 5 Aug. 2026, https://shelterforce.org/2026/08/05/the-accessibility-rules-were-there-the-enforcement-wasnt/
Warnock, Rob. “How Accessible Is the Housing Market?” Apartment List, 19 Feb. 2020, http://www.apartmentlist.com/research/how-accessible-is-the-housing-market.