Issue Brief #6:
Statewide Independent Living Council

What does it mean to have a disability in Colorado?

Housing

Finding accessible housing in Colorado is no easy task; finding accessible housing that is also affordable, can be nearly impossible. This is the dilemma facing many individuals with disabilities in Colorado. Some find the cost of acceptable housing so prohibitive, that they have little choice but to live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Part of the problem with the lack of availability of housing has to do with the special needs of many individuals with disabilities. Accommodations like lowered light switches and counters, handle bars in the bathroom, and adapted doorbells and lights can be very difficult to find. All too often, these modifications are only available in expensive residential settings. With disproportionately high rates of unemployment and poverty among individuals with disabilities, expensive housing is usually not an option. Indeed, many individuals with disabilities are dependent on social security, section 8 housing vouchers, and other state and federal benefits to pay for their residential needs. Given their limited financial means, few options exist for independent living for these individuals.

In 2000, there were 16,135 low income renters in Colorado, or 32.6% of the total number of renters.¹
There were 1,751 disabled families living in public housing with housing choice vouchers in Colorado in 2008.²
In 2008, the average SSI monthly benefit payment was $662. At this amount, 89.9% of the SSI benefit would be required to rent a typical studio apartment; 102.1% of the benefit would be required to rent a typical one bedroom apartment.³
According to the Multifamily Housing Inventory Survey of Units for the Elderly and Disabled, Colorado had 1,019 units designated for people with disabilities in 2008.⁴
Colorado currently has a total of 2,376 units with accessible features. However, only 4.5% of these units are designated for people with disabilities.⁵
Nationally, there are approximately 282,000 individuals with a self-reported disability living in homeless shelters, or about 43% of the total population residing in shelters. It is not known how many additional disabled homeless are living on the streets.⁶

There are no easy answers to Colorado’s housing problem. With so few affordable options for accessible housing, many individuals with disabilities have no choice but to remain in assisted living settings. These individuals are forced to live very restricted lives; they have little opportunity for self-determination and social integration. The lack of available housing for individuals with disabilities also bears a large financial cost. At a time when Colorado is struggling to pay all its bills, the state can ill afford to pay the cost of assisted living services. With just a few adaptations, many additional housing units in Colorado could be made accessible. Such small investments could pay enormous dividends in quality of life of the individuals impacted.

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Colorado SILC

"A Leading Authority on Independent Living in Colorado"

What does it mean to have a disability in Colorado?

Housing