article BY ELENA SCHNEIDERAND SEPIDEH NIA ; Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University ; JUN 4, 2013
When Julie Falco moved into her Ravenswood apartment in 1990, she could still walk up the nine steps to her front door. But her multiple sclerosis has worsened significantly in the last few years and she is no longer able to climb up or down those nine steps without help.
Falco has wanted to move out of her place to an accessible apartment for two years, but has been unable to find an affordable, available spot in the last two years.
Falco is not alone, said Roger Razo, the housing coordinator for Access Living, a Chicago nonprofit organization working to connect disabled citizens with housing.
"I work with between 10 and 20 people in a week," Razo said. "They have such a high sense of urgency to move out."
Realtors are required to complete trained so they can helping people with disabilities find appropriate homes, said Tina Stepaniak, spokeswoman for the Chicago Association of Realtors, but availability is the biggest problem.
"The big issue is finding accessible units," Razo said. "We have maybe 1 percent in the City of Chicago that are accessible units."
Access Living also lobbies state and local government officials to expand protection and availability for disabled citizens seeking housing. Adam Ballard, community development organizer for Access Living, said the group recently won a campaign that added vouchers for housing as a source of income protected against discrimination.
"Landlords can no longer just refuse to give an application to a housing choice voucher resident because of [the voucher]," Ballard said. Many disabled people use housing vouchers to pay for housing since more than 70 percent are unemployed, Ballard said.
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=222540
©2001 - 2013 Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University. A publication of the Medill School.
When Julie Falco moved into her Ravenswood apartment in 1990, she could still walk up the nine steps to her front door. But her multiple sclerosis has worsened significantly in the last few years and she is no longer able to climb up or down those nine steps without help.
Falco has wanted to move out of her place to an accessible apartment for two years, but has been unable to find an affordable, available spot in the last two years.
Falco is not alone, said Roger Razo, the housing coordinator for Access Living, a Chicago nonprofit organization working to connect disabled citizens with housing.
"I work with between 10 and 20 people in a week," Razo said. "They have such a high sense of urgency to move out."
Realtors are required to complete trained so they can helping people with disabilities find appropriate homes, said Tina Stepaniak, spokeswoman for the Chicago Association of Realtors, but availability is the biggest problem.
"The big issue is finding accessible units," Razo said. "We have maybe 1 percent in the City of Chicago that are accessible units."
Access Living also lobbies state and local government officials to expand protection and availability for disabled citizens seeking housing. Adam Ballard, community development organizer for Access Living, said the group recently won a campaign that added vouchers for housing as a source of income protected against discrimination.
"Landlords can no longer just refuse to give an application to a housing choice voucher resident because of [the voucher]," Ballard said. Many disabled people use housing vouchers to pay for housing since more than 70 percent are unemployed, Ballard said.
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=222540
©2001 - 2013 Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University. A publication of the Medill School.
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