Saturday, April 23, 2022

 Accessibility in Housing: Findings from the 2019 American Housing Survey

In a study by the SP Group LLC and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the biennial American Housing Survey (AHS), the stock of homes accessible to those with disabilities was examined. This was an augmented follow-up to the HUD 2011 AHS study that collected housing accessibility data, as some questions were added. Posted on March 17, 2022, the 30-page report discusses the findings from this module of housing accessibility questions. 

The 2019 AHS data show that almost 2 in 10 U.S. households include a person with accessibility needs (i.e., households that include someone with a mobility-related disability; someone who uses a mobility-assistive device; someone with difficulty accessing their home; or someone who has difficulty accessing or using bedrooms, bathrooms, or kitchens). The majority of these households, however, live in homes that are not fully accessible - almost 4 in 10 do not have accessibility features such as entry-level bedrooms or full bathrooms. Only a very small percentage of owner households planned to install such features or to make accessibility-related improvements to their homes.

Specifically, the report also found that 13% of U.S. households include someone who uses a mobility-assistive device, and 19% of households include an individual with accessibility needs. Some 6% of households include someone who has difficulty entering the home, or accessing or using a kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom due to a condition.

Download the report.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Accessibility-in-Housing-Report.html