In spite of strong antidiscrimination laws, people with disabilities face many obstacles to affordable, accessible housing. Local government land use practices bar group or supported housing. Neighbors oppose affordable housing.
Landlords screen out, evict, or refuse to accommodate tenants with disabilities.
Too often, the consequences are needless, costly placement in institutions, and even homelessness. Both Rhoda and Sydney N. have cerebral palsy. Married for over 47 years, they have lived at Independence Square since 1979, in a federally subsidized apartment for the elderly and disabled. However, ISHC illegally required that all of its tenants be able to live independently with no outside supports, and would not let Sydney N. return to his wife and apartment after a short stay in a skilled nursing facility. PAI's lawsuit challenged ISHC's discriminatory policies.