(gentle music) - Across the country, and as well as here in West Michigan, the number one category of fair housing complaints is related to disability.

- It's a trend we started observing here in West Michigan in 2015, and it has topped our caseload year after year since then, up 'til now.

- The housing provider is saying that a person with a disability shouldn't be allowed to have equal use and access of their home.

And that's become really disheartening for the people who are just trying to live their lives, and navigate just their own housing situation.

- And they can find a way to phrase it so that it doesn't look like they're picking on the disabled, but you know they are, or at least you wonder it.

- I think one of the worst parts about disability-based discrimination is that people will give up their rights, or the ability to cook for themselves, or bathe properly, or even leave their apartment, because they're afraid to be the squeaky wheel and ask for something that they genuinely need.

- We're always, you know, afraid to call maintenance for something.

And it is like, "Oh, well disabled people always break everything with your mobility aid, so let's kick you out."

As we're aging, and the prices of rent keeps going up, you know, we're worrying about our rental future.

Boy, are we worrying.

- When it comes to affordable housing, absolute crisis.

When it comes to affordable, accessible housing, way beyond crisis.

- It feels like it's a matter of time before they go, before we get the letter that says, "Okay, the rent is this much," and our income is this much, and what do we do with that?

Because we can't leave, but we can't move.

- Everything just kind of, unfortunately, can be a downward spiral, and we're working to create that upward spiral.

- Just to know that they're not alone, they're not fighting this fight all by themselves, they're not out there standing on a ledge with nowhere to turn.

They have someone who's there to back them up, someone who understands the law, and can communicate that in a way that allows them to get what they need at the end of the day.

- Housing discrimination impacts many groups, but not as much as people with disabilities.

- And when you add in the impact of the sky-high cost of living in many cities, finding accessible, affordable housing can kinda feel like you're searching for a needle in a haystack.

- Today on "Mutually Inclusive," we see a new lens of the housing crisis in West Michigan, and hear from disability advocates who are working to create change.

(gentle music) (serene music) Fair housing, it's the principle that housing opportunities should be equal for everyone, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or natural origin.

While there are laws on the book to uphold this ideology, the U.S. sees thousands of housing discrimination claims annually, with record breaking numbers in the past few years.

And in a 2022 report, the National Fair Housing Alliance said, "Discrimination on the basis of disability accounts for more than half of complaints filed."

- It's a trend we started observing here in West Michigan in 2015, and it has topped our caseload year after year since then, up 'til now.

- [Kylie] Liz Keegan is the director of education and outreach at the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan, which fields and responds to the area's housing discrimination claims.

- What it looks like is people being treated differently in either accessing their housing, or being allowed, or not being allowed as the case may be, to make changes in their home in order to stay there.

Whether they're looking to age in place, or as could happen to any one of us, a condition we have worsens, and they become a person with a disability, or they have a disability already, and they're looking to really keep their housing.

- [Kylie] She says despite disability discrimination topping the charts each year, not every case has malicious intent.

- In order to be a person legally with a disability, there's a real broad definition of what that can look like.

So I think there's a lot of genuine misunderstanding, a real lack of awareness that we've really tried to tackle with all of our education, but we're also working with an industry where there's a lot of turnover.

Landlords and property managers are constantly hiring and retraining new staff.

So it can happen very easily, and it genuinely can be a mistake.

The interesting thing on the rental side of things is that there's no requirement for property managers and landlords and owners who are leasing property to have any fair housing training.

Real estate agents and bankers are required to have ongoing fair housing and fair lending training in order to conduct that business.

On the rental side of things, they legitimately can say to us, "I didn't know that this was illegal," or, "I didn't recognize this is disability-based discrimination."

- [Kylie] But mal-intent or not, denying someone housing opportunities based on disability, a protected class, is illegal.

And the center has enforcement coordinators on the ground.

For Becky Nespital, it's an opportunity to educate and advocate in her community.

- As an enforcement coordinator, when I'm thinking about discrimination in housing, specifically as it relates to a person's disability, I see it in the statements of saying, "Someone is too disabled to live here," or, "this is not a good fit," or, "we treat everyone the same, regardless of disability," even when that might mean that a person with a disability is disadvantaged living there.

But it also includes a whole 'nother space where a person with a disability may need something different in order to have equal use and enjoyment of their home.

So it's not just equal treatment, it's equitable treatment, which allows a person with a disability what they need, whether that's a physical change, in a ramp, or in grab bars, or in a different kind of doorknob.

Or if it's an accommodation, whether that's a change in a rental due date for SSDI income.

Or it might be advocating for an assistance animal.

All of those things come together in what disability discrimination looks like in housing.

- People actually say someone is too disabled?

- Yes, we have had people call in and say, "I was looking at this property, there are three steps to go in.

I use a cane to get up and down the stairs, and I've been told that this is not gonna be a good fit for me."

Senior communities, where they offer independent living, where they actually ask residents to do a medical assessment to prove that they are independent enough to live in independent living.

And all of these are things that we want to know about.

It shouldn't be up to the housing provider to decide what that looks like.

- What type of reaction do you get from your clients who are dealing with this, and who are on these lists of, you know, 78 cases open in 2024 that had allegations of discrimination, then you've got 89 cases that were closed that had allegations in 2023?

- When people are calling in, they're frustrated, they're confused, they don't know where to turn.

They are a lot of times worried about losing their housing, or having fear of retaliation if they ask too much, or if they push too hard for what their civil rights might look like.

And a lot of times our clients feel better just even in a phone call or two, just to know that they're not alone, they're not fighting this fight all by themselves.

They're not out there standing on a ledge with nowhere to turn.

They have someone who's there to back them up, someone who understands the law, and can communicate that in a way that allows them to get what they need at the end of the day.

- [Kylie] While the team works to educate and advocate for equitable housing practices, they say the rapidly moving housing market doesn't make it easy.

- When places are renting overnight though, it can be hard to have that time to do that advocacy, or homes are selling very quickly, to educate condos and HOAs, for example, that what they're doing is illegal.

So kind of having our foot in the door to get that time to get people housing is very challenging.

(serene music) - [Kylie] And this, coupled with rising costs of living for both homeowners and renters is creating a greater barrier for people with disabilities to find an affordable, accessible place to call home.

- You know, I hate to use the metaphor, but it really is the perfect storm.

- [Kylie] Dave Bulkowski is the executive director for Disability Advocates of Kent County.

At its core, the group serves as a center for independent living in West Michigan.

- Our two main roles are first helping people with disabilities navigate systems and identify barriers in their own lives, to their goals, and helping them knock those barriers down.

- [Kylie] How big is housing when you're looking at kind of the scale of all of the things that you do?

- Well, everybody we know needs to sleep somewhere tonight.

So (laughing) not to be too facetious about it, one of the challenges when we organize around housing is if my housing is okay today, what's the issue?

But if I desperately need housing, like people do who call us every day, then you're desperate to find housing, so it's really tough to say, "Hey, and do you wanna come to this meeting to advocate for more housing?"

It is a huge issue.

And then of course, if you're in good stable housing, does it meet your needs today, from an accessibility perspective, from a mobility perspective?

So we're working on those issues as well, both individually and systemically.

So housing flavors everything.

- [Kylie] The role of housing, as a social determinant of health, is well established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Showing that lack of affordable housing can be linked to both physical and mental health concerns.

For disabled communities who require additional home support, stakes can be even higher.

And much of that is dependent on financial needs.

- When it comes to affordable housing, absolute crisis.

When it comes to affordable, accessible housing, way beyond crisis.

And then you throw affordable, accessible, and housing where you need some support services, way beyond, way beyond a crisis.

So I mean it just is this, you know, is it dominoes?

Is it a house of cards?

Whatever it is, it just, accessibility can be a huge barrier.

If you're more than three quarters of a mile off mainline bus, you won't have GO!Bus.

And if you're under 60, you don't have RideLink.

And so again, you can pick an affordable house, but can you get there affordably?

Everything just kind of, unfortunately, can be a downward spiral, and we're working to create that upward spiral.

- [Kylie] Data shows 4.1 million people with disabilities ages 18 to 64 receive Supplemental Security Income.

But ongoing analysis shows there's no housing market in the United States where a person living on this income can afford a safe and accessible apartment, without additional rental assistance.

2024 data shows nearly 900,000 people with disabilities under 64 live in institutional settings, such as psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes, in many cases, due only to the lack of affordable housing in their communities, rather than to any actual need for residential care.

- The maximum SSI payment a month is gonna be around like $980.

And you're supposed to get room, food, transportation, and maybe a little bit of social activity out of that $988.

So that's why a lot of folks with disabilities are then in subsidized units, getting different vouchers.

And again, and all of those are limited.

And even if you get a voucher, can you find a place that will take the voucher?

So funding is a big piece, and then it's gonna be the accessibility, you know, that does this unit really meet my needs, or am I gonna settle for something that's, again, it's a warm dry, place and I'll make due.

But it's just not, it's not good.

- And I think that's one of the bigger challenge for all of the discrimination that we're seeing is a rapid housing market, high demand for housing.

People are putting up with more in order to keep their housing.

They're worried about having to move because there's nowhere to go, or what's available costs so much more.

Affordability is a big question.

Some folks on disability income have really limited options in terms of what they could pay for.

(gentle music) - [Kylie] For roommates Heidi Devries and Tammy Yeomans, these are real fears that impact the residential experience.

- As we're aging and the prices of rent keeps going up, you know, we're worrying about our rental future.

Boy, are we worrying, and worrying some more, and more.

Prices go up with the services, and you know, it's becoming slum lord.

- [Kylie] The two have lived together for more than 20 years, and like many, their housing needs have changed over time.

- Had our first apartment here in Heritage Hills, 'til she graduated and, you know, we both got done with college, moved out to the burbs, you know, we're too old for the nightlife anymore.

We're in the process of looking for more age-appropriate buildings.

You know, when we first moved into our apartment back 20-plus years ago, it was, you know, accessible.

I mean it was, for us at the time, it was barrier free.

- But within the next three to five years, it's not going to be what we need to be comfortable.

And the truth is we just need some additional support to come alongside and help us to live a better quality of life.

- As we've aged in place, it has gone from barrier free, down to it's barely accessible, borderline visitable, because we've had some friends come over, keep having about the width of their wheelchair, they can get into our living room, and our dining room, and our kitchen, but they can't get into either one of our bathrooms.

So they gotta either sit there and hold it, or hope they have on Depends, and you know, be embarrassed.

We find some ways to adapt some certain things, but you can't adapt for everything and everybody.

And now because we're both using Amigos, 20 years ago we didn't have to.

Now we can't, you know, we can bring hers in into the apartment, but we have to leave mine out in the hallway, because both of 'em won't fit in the house.

We don't have an attached garage where we can just park in.

And come winter time, you have to in these days, disconnect the battery, because you can't leave 'em out in the cold, like you can a car battery.

You know how much of a drag that would be having to get up a half hour early to reconnect your battery in here every morning?

And then put it on the charger for an hour, and hope it's enough?

You gotta get up at four o'clock in the morning to do all that.

- [Kylie] But finding a new place to live can be taxing, not just mentally, but financially.

And despite the presence of laws banning source of income discrimination, many still find it challenging to use their Supplemental Security Income or vouchers with landlords.

- And we faced that and did face that when we were applying for apartments.

We were denied when we were first starting out.

We were denied.

There was one place we really wanted to get into, it was nice, it was beautiful, but we didn't meet the three times income requirement for the space, so we were denied.

But now there's legislation to make it much more encompassing.

We're just aging, and now we need more.

- [Kylie] While Heidi and Tammy have the right to ask their landlords for accommodations based on their disabilities, there's an overwhelming fear that keeps many from speaking up, the risk of losing an affordable living space.

It's a mental game of weighing the outcomes.

- You know, one tiny little mistake on our part, maybe drop the bag of garbage out in the hall on the way out the door, had a quick run back in and get something, neighbor complained, and "Oh, you left the trash out once, so now you're evicted," kinda, you know, because the manager gets weird.

We're always, you know, afraid to call maintenance for something, and you know, it is like, "Oh well, disabled people always break everything with your mobility aids, so let's kick you out."

They know we're on disability checks, and they come right out the annual, "Hi, it's your anniversary, it's time to renew your lease, but we're not gonna renew your lease, because we know you don't have the income anymore, goodbye."

And they can find a way to phrase it so that it doesn't look like they're picking on the disabled, but you know they are, or at least you wonder.

(gentle music) - We've had clients give up, or alternate buying medications and groceries, because they're paying disability-related fees for assistance animals that they shouldn't have to pay.

But they're so desperate for that emotional support, or having a caregiver come, that they're giving up other things that are further impeding their health.

So it's a really vulnerable population that's kind of, I think, put under more pressure with this lack of fair housing compliance.

- So they say, "I didn't know," fine, but you educate them.

So why do we still have people in court once you do the due diligence of saying, "Okay, this is illegal.

They need to have this particular accommodation, or modification, what's the problem?"

- I wish I knew the answer to that, I have my suspicions.

I do think that some people really feel, because housing is so personal, there's a lot of, I think, judgment involved in it.

And we've had housing providers say, "Well, I can see them walking to their car.

I don't think that's a person with a disability."

Well the law says you can be a person with a disability, and have a job and walk to your car.

A lot of disabilities are invisible.

Many of us live with disabilities that the rest of us wouldn't know about, unless we disclose it.

Some of it is that genuine lack of knowledge of what the right thing to do is.

And I think a lot of it really is the housing industry is growing.

We have a lot of companies consolidating, new management coming in, that can create a lot of chaos, especially for our older adults, and people who have been renting for a long time.

- We are feeling the squeeze, because we have pretty solid rental history.

We've lived in our apartment for the last 26 years.

I'm afraid we're going to get priced out, where we can't afford, and that's what it feels like now.

We almost can't afford to stay, even though we're not paying exactly, we're not paying exactly per se market rate, but at the same time, we're not getting any subsidies, or anything like that to help with the rent.

It feels like it's a matter of time before they go, before we get the letter that says, "Okay, the rent is this much," and our income is this much, and what do we do with that?

Because we can't leave, but we can't move, which is exactly what it feels like, and I'm afraid that will happen.

And then it becomes an emergency situation that we really don't want.

(gentle music) - [Kylie] While organizations, like the Fair Housing Center, are working to eliminate cases of housing discrimination, West Michigan is still in the middle of a housing crisis, where are for people of all backgrounds, there's limited availability to go around.

That's why Disability Advocates say there needs to be increased accessible, and affordable housing options.

- So we've been fighting this battle for quite some time, but we've seen significant case law, brilliant decisions.

There's new HUD guidance.

You know, there's a lot of people working towards how can we uplift housing, and access for people with disabilities?

- There's no question that things have become more accessible.

I think, you know, when things are built, there's much more of a push in communities for it to be, you know, handicap accessible.

But what we really need to start doing in our communities is going beyond that.

The Americans With Disabilities Act, although it's been critical and is tremendously important, is only the minimum standard.

But what we need to be doing is going beyond that minimum standard.

- What we like to say is the ADA is the worst you can legally do.

Like, don't brag that you meet the ADA.

And the ADA really doesn't apply much to housing.

It's usually in the building code, and the Fair Housing Act.

It just baffles me, it's like if statistically six to 8% of units are accessible, but most of those accessible units are what are called type B units.

And I did a small setup with our community partner home repair services, I got some cabinets and measured out this is a type B unit, and put people in wheelchairs and said, "How accessible is that?"

And it isn't, it's really, really not good.

We definitely are, as an organization, feeling forward momentum.

We're trying to develop basically an inclusively-designed unit, or multiple ways to do an inclusive-designed unit.

And so when you go to our Home Accessibility Center, you know, you start in the kitchen, and you look at what are the different ways to create space underneath counters, so people could, somebody in a wheelchair, or somebody who just needs to sit in a chair while they're doing stuff.

Or are they higher counters if somebody's taller?

Where are the appliances?

(gentle music) - If a person is fortunate enough not to have had to deal with such a disability before, it can be hard to understand.

But for a person with a disability, it can mean so many different things.

Having a lever instead of a doorknob might mean someone can literally open their door and get outside.

It's up to the client, and the client's medical or mental health professional to say, "This is what I need, in order to be able to live in my home."

- Our ultimate goal is simply to change the way a standard house is built, that somebody with a mobility device can use.

It just pays dividends.

- Having a front entrance with no steps could make life easier for a lot of folks, not just people with disabilities.

So there's a lot of appeal in the accessible features that should be available.

I hope people can recognize any one of us can become a person with a disability overnight.

- You have an 80 to 90% likelihood of acquiring a disability before you die.

I mean, there is almost nothing in life that is guaranteed as much as acquiring a disability.

And not to be morbid, the only thing with a higher likelihood is death.

- I think if more people really looked at their housing and their community with those eyes, that would be a huge impact.

And they're all really important changes that allow for people to live with dignity, safety, and really fully use and enjoy their housing.

(serene music) (gentle music) - [Narrator] Thanks for watching.

You can find this episode and others online at wgvu.org/mutuallyinclusive.

(gentle music continues)