People with Disabilities Living in the U.S. Face Urgent Barriers to Housing
A just-released Urban Institute study of 2021 Current Population Survey (CPS) data has found that only 16% of the disabled receive any kind of housing assistance although 84% are eligible. They face unique barriers related to housing affordability, accessibility, and receiving supportive services. According to this analysis, about 12% of U.S. residents over 15 live with a disability, or about 39 million people across 32 million households.
They also tend to have lower incomes and are less likely to be working than the nondisabled population. Some 22% have “extremely low” incomes, as defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Only 23% were employed in 2021, compared with 69% of the nondisabled population. The median income for households with at least one disabled member was $42,736 or less than 60% of the median income for households without a disabled member ($75,000).
Most people with disabilities (58%) are heads of their household. Over 27% live alone compared with only 10% of the nondisabled. 24%of disabled people live with one other disabled person, and less than 5% live with two or more other disabled people.
In 2021, solely 16% of the disabled with low incomes actually received housing assistance through either public housing or rental assistance. A total of 84% (almost 18 million people) were eligible for housing assistance but did not receive it. 21% of disabled people with very or extremely low incomes and 26% with extremely low incomes received housing assistance (2021). But this still leaves large percentages of the low-income disabled population without any assistance.
As of 2021, 32% of disabled people with low incomes received SNAP benefits and 37% received Medicaid - compared with the nondisabled's 22% percent receiving SNAP and 26% receiving Medicaid. Only 45% of disabled people with extremely low incomes received SNAP benefits in 2021, while 49% got Medicaid.
HUD’s 2021 point-in-time count estimates that, in 2020, 19% of those experiencing homelessness (110,528 people) were “chronically homeless” - they have a disability and experience persistent homelessness. The 2020 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey estimates that 53% percent of people living in institutions (2,061,048), such as group homes or prisons, had a disability.
Based on our analysis, more than 18 million people with disabilities face significant barriers to stable and quality housing that is affordable, accessible, and inclusive of people's support needs.
The study recommends that to reduce barriers to accessible, affordable, and inclusive housing for people with disabilities, federal, state, and local governments should consider policies that increase housing assistance and housing; prioritize making housing affordable for disabled people with extremely low incomes; and ensure that more housing is designed to be accessible and inclusive.
