As this site demonstrates, great attention is already paid to enforcement litigation under the Fair Housing Act. However, in the area of providing accessible housing for the disabled, cooperative programs hold promise for increasing the availability of accessible housing for the disabled in ways that Act-related enforcement litigation programs cannot. The industry has responded quickly to this unique responsibility, building an estimated 33,000 properties containing millions of accessible residences since the Act's regulations went into effect in early 1991. The experience gained from building those homes has led the apartment industry to take concrete action, often in cooperation with disability advocates. The four efforts outlined here are providing accessible design guidance, increasing the marketability of accessible residences, improving understanding of fair housing by professionals who need it most, and integrating accessibility features into building code requirements.
Cooperative efforts point out the shortcomings of using litigation to deliver housing.
They cost thousands of dollars per accessible unit in FHIP enforcement program awards, settlement remedy costs, and attorneys' fees for government and private litigants. As government, industry, and advocates all realize, accessible design features can be provided at least cost while a property is still on the design board. As outlined below, four cooperative programs created by the industry this decade offer many benefits. These efforts are reducing uncertainty in the design process over what accessibility features are appropriate. Disabled residents' understanding of the accessible apartment opportunities available to them in markets across the country is being improved.