It contains statistics and stories from around Massachusetts about the accessible housing crisis within the larger affordable housing crisis. Using the Housing Navigator, a tool for finding affordable housing in MA, they were able to see the number of accessible, affordable homes and apartments across the state. However, most of these apartments are filled with people who need them already–looking at the Housing Navigator today, I can’t find any apartments currently open that are completely wheelchair accessible, not age restricted, and with rents based on income. This follows the 2024 Accessible Affordable Housing Report, which found only two units at the time of that search.
One thing we all have in common is that we need (and deserve) safe, affordable housing. Unfortunately, for people with disabilities, finding housing can be like finding a needle in a haystack. People with disabilities are disproportionally lower-income, making the current housing market too expensive for many. There are great low-income housing programs like the MRVP and AHVP, as well as Section 8, but these programs are underfunded and overburdened.
We are now in the longest government shutdown in American history as we are at the thirty-sixth day of the shutdown and there is a lot of confusion going on when it comes to SNAP benefits.
We are now entering the fifth week of the federal government shutdown, with no end in sight. People have questions about what’s looming for the 1.3 million Social Security recipients across the Commonwealth. It has now been confirmed that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits are running out of funding and will not be issued in the month of November. Folks are on edge…what are our options?
