SHA will add 263 accessible units by 2014
Five percent of all housing units will be
fully accessible
SEATTLE—November 30, 2007—Seattle
Housing Authority has signed an agreement with HUD to create or
adapt 263 housing units that will be fully accessible to people with
disabilities. The newly accessible units will be distributed in
buildings throughout Seattle.
When the program is complete, a total of five
percent of SHA’s units will be fully accessible. The agreement goes
beyond any legal requirement, reflecting Seattle Housing Authority’s
long-standing commitment to serving the disabled in barrier-free
housing.
In June 2006, HUD visited several SHA buildings,
and found that some units considered by SHA to be barrier-free did
not precisely reflect Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS).
Although the variances were slight, and generally considered to fall
within industry tolerances, HUD still determined that they did not
meet UFAS standards.
Rather than issuing findings about these
discrepancies, HUD asked the agency to consider a voluntary
compliance agreement (VCA), through which SHA would commit to
providing accessible units and meeting UFAS standards. SHA agreed to
enter into a voluntary agreement with HUD, and over the next eight
years will create new units in several ways: by building new units
or adjusting existing units in its redevelopments and by remodeling
other units in existing buildings. By 2014 SHA will meet the five
percent target created by the agreement – a commitment that exceeds
current federal law.
“We believe these units can be produced using
our annual allocation of funding from HUD, and that the new and
remodeled units will enhance our offerings,” explained Executive
Director Tom Tierney. “This is a good outcome for SHA and for
disabled people in Seattle.”
In 2008, SHA will produce more than a third of
the needed units. These will be in SHA’s redeveloped communities and
in the high-rise buildings being remodeled through homeWorks. In the
following years, additional units will be created at Rainier Vista,
in additional high-rises, in existing scattered-sites properties and
at Yesler Terrace.
The agreement also commits SHA to remodeling
common areas in offices and other buildings to achieve full
accessibility. The Housing Authority will also take a look at how
admissions and housing selection programs can better serve all
applicants. Look for additional information in The Voice in coming
months about how SHA will be providing accessible services to people
with disabilities.
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