In 1996 the City, County and Towns of Irondequoit and Greece commissioned a study referred to as the Analysis of Impediments "AI" to identify barriers which restrict housing choices among protected classes.  Disability is considered a protected class under Federal and State "Fair Housing" anti-discrimination laws. These laws prohibit discriminatory practices related directly or indirectly to the sale, rental or financing of housing.

In addition to considerations about discrimination (acts or behaviors that limit housing choice), persons with disabilities face a wider scope of barriers related to the accessibility of housing. The lack of accessible or barrier free housing, restricts independent living opportunities for people with limited physical mobility.

The following paragraphs on Disability Status were included in (AI) Demographic Profile of Monroe County.  

"It is difficult to estimate how many people with disabilities there are in Monroe County.  The Census provides statistics on the numbers of people over the age of 16 who report having mobility and/or self care disabilities.  The census figures exclude many persons with other types of disabilities; however, the Census is the only source which provides reliable statistics on disabilities by jurisdiction.

According to the 1990 Census, there were 33,168 persons in Monroe County with either self-care, mobility or mobility and self-care disabilities.  This represented about 6% of persons aged 16 and older in the county. About 9% of adult city residents reported self-care and/ or mobility limitations, compared to about 5% in the suburbs. However, due to the larger population base in the suburbs the numbers of persons with mobility and/or self care disabilities is about the same in the city and the suburbs 16,081 in the city and 17, 087 in the suburbs)."

As the community moves forward putting the plan into action we need to address the concerns of persons with disabilities that were raised during public discussion on existing barriers to housing choice.

Specific issues raised in the AI:

a. Attitudes and prejudices are impediments to fair housing choice for persons with disabilities.

b. A large portion of the housing stock (estimated at 99% by the Center for Independent Living) is not accessible to persons with disabilities.

c. Persons with disabilities who depend on public transportation are further limited in housing choice since many residential areas are not well-served by public transportation.

d. HUD policy allows elderly-and disabled-tenancy projects to be designated as elderly only, disenfranchising persons with disabilities.

e. Many have difficulty paying for needed alterations to make a residential unit handicapped-accessible.  Delays in securing funds for improvements can result in loss of the unit to another tenant who does not have such a constraint.

For information on fair housing and accessibility issues for persons with disabilities visit:

Alpha-One, a Maine non-profit organization run by people with disabilities
http://www.alpha-one.org/  

Bazelon, a leading national advocate for people with mental illness
http://www.bazelon.org/housing.html

Center for Disability Rights (CDR), a not-for-profit, community-based advocacy and service organization located in Rochester for people with all types of disabilities
http://www.rochestercdr.org/ 

The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, a Coalition of national consumer, advocacy, provider and professional organizations headquartered in Washington, D.C.
http://www.c-c-d.org/tf-housing.htm

Concrete Change, an organization promoting an international effort to make all homes visitable
http://www.concretechange.org/

The Disability Resources Monthly (DRM) WebWatcher:
Thousands of the best disability resources on the Internet, personally selected and annotated by the staff of DRM and alphabetically arranged by subject for easy access.
http://www.disabilityresources.org/HOUSING.html

National Fair Housing Advocate Online, includes several searchable databases of fair housing caselaw, news and information
http://fairhousing.com/

Regional Center for Independent Living (RCIL), provides advocacy and independent living services for individuals with disabilities in Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston and Yates Counties in New York State.
http://www.rcil.org/