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.