As a part of our Getting Started Guide, this article is intended for people and organizations who would like to build disability-forward housing but need a partner to successfully execute their project idea. In this article, we provide context and common language used in the field to build your understanding so you can choose an appropriate development partner that will help you execute a housing community you envision.

This overview walks you step-by-step through hosting your own inclusive community workshops for your housing project. It covers the type of workshops, who and how to invite participants, and accessibility of process and materials with tips and best practices throughout. This resource will give you practical insight into anchoring community workshops in inclusion and helping participants feel comfortable, welcomed and valued.

This article is a great resource for disability-forward minded individuals and organizations who own a piece of land and seek to develop inclusive housing. Specifically, this piece details the first five necessary steps to becoming an inclusive houser. Disability-forward housing is anchored in inclusion and seeks to put the lived experiences of people with disabilities top of mind. By the end of this article, you will know and better understand the five steps required to get started in developing a piece of land into an inclusive housing community.

It is not enough to claim to center your organization’s work on inclusion. Your organization also needs to increase the disabled leadership in every facet of your work. This means ensuring your projects and programs are co-led by people with and without disabilities. Learn some tips and best practices on the critical importance of reflecting disabled leadership in your work.

Understanding policy frameworks and strategies will make you a stronger disability housing advocate. Consider the strength of our collective power as a disability-forward movement if we stood in unison by advocating to the same audience with the same proposed interventions or asks. It’s time to organize our shared policy agenda and claim the power that unity will undoubtedly bring.

26% of people have a disability, yet it’s estimated that less than 6% of the national housing supply is designed to be accessible. The Housing Design Standards for Accessibility and Inclusion consist of over 300 Elements, which reflect design operations and choices that include development strategies, building features, or operational policies that support accessibility and inclusion. The Design Standards organize elements by Design Categories, Impact Areas, and Additional Benefits. Click to download the standards and a self-certification tool.

Building disability-forward housing requires familiarity with housing development, disability, and finance. Each requires a different set of tools, and terms to understand. This glossary of terms provides a list of keywords used in each area of work to explore inclusive housing opportunities in your community.

Conversations around disability-inclusive housing often center on discussions of physical housing types and supports and services. While these elements are fundamental, The Kelsey believes that these two elements are should be considered as necessary to support a crucial third element: community life. Read on to learn more about The Kelsey’s triangle graphic and its application to thriving inclusive communities.