Senator Introduces Bill to Boost LIHTCs for Accessible Housing

Last year, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act to address the housing affordability and accessibility crisis for people with disabilities. Senator Casey recently introduced the Boosting Tax Credits for Accessible Housing Act in the U.S. Senate. The bill is a stand-alone provision taken from the VITAL Act.

The context: LIHTC, the nation’s primary driver of affordable housing, does not have any in-unit requirements for mobility or sensory access, contributing to the severe shortage of accessible, affordable housing for people with disabilities. According to the CDC and HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research, while 11.1 percent of people have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, less than 1 percent of the U.S. housing stock is accessible to wheelchair users and less than 5 percent is accessible to people with mobility difficulties. 

One level deeper: The Boosting Tax Credits for Accessible Housing Act would address the shortage of accessible housing by providing a basis boost of 150 percent to LIHTC projects that meet certain standards to serve people with disabilities. Projects that receive the basis boost would be required to meet design standards as defined in the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS).

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act creates a uniform requirement of 5 percent of the dwelling units be accessible for persons with mobility disabilities and 2 percent of the dwelling units be accessible for persons with hearing or visual disabilities. Section 504 requirements are included in the UFAS.