Promoting community integration for people with disabilities in Massachusetts: An analysis of the Community Based Housing Program

Affordable, accessible housing options available to people with disabilities throughout the country are in short supply and have traditionally limited opportunities for community integration. In Massachusetts, the Community Based Housing Program was created to address this problem by promoting the development of affordable and accessible housing options for people with disabilities, particularly those living in institutions or at risk of institutionalization. A qualitative, interview-based study was completed to determine the extent to which the Community Based Housing Program has been successful at increasing the stock of affordable and accessible housing available to people with disabilities; making sure those units are both physically accessible and affordable to those with extremely-low incomes; ensuring that units are integrated within the larger development; promoting a greater sense of housing choice for people with disabilities by constructing units in a variety of styles in communities throughout Massachusetts; and providing incentives to developers to construct appropriate community-based housing options for people with disabilities. It was found that features of the program such as its strong link between affordability and accessibility, high expectations for Universal Design features, and a guaranteed set-aside for people with disabilities have made CBH particularly effective.