By Carmela Davis

Did you know that an estimated 10% of Marin residents have a disability? And that number is growing rapidly.

People with disabilities are not limited to a specific age group or background — I am 24 years old and have been living with a disability that impacts my mobility since I was a student at Tamalpais High School. Yet very little of our housing is built accessible.

Disability is the largest and most intersectional minority in the world. One of the best ways to support people with disabilities in Marin is to encourage the development of new housing. Marin County abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act establishing a federal accessible building code. Nonetheless, we still lack accessible housing. That’s unacceptable.

The housing crisis is dire for everyone, with a staggering lack of available units below market rate. This number diminishes even further if you are looking for accessible affordable housing.

The bulk of Marin’s housing was built from 1942 to 1979. California did not implement state accessibility standards until the 1980s, and the ADA was not established nationally until 1990. Only 1.2% in Marin was built this century, and because most dwellings are single family homes — which are exempt from ADA standards — less than 1% of housing in Marin is currently built to be accessible. To make things worse, Marin has the lowest housing production rate in the greater Bay Area.

Accessible housing is an urgent need, and the best way to make Marin more accessible is to build more multifamily housing which complies with federal and local codes.

California’s accessible building codes are more progressive than the national ADA, yet Marin still remains inaccessible to many. ADA and state regulations cannot always be applied to already existing structures, and new housing is not built fast enough for there to be a significant number of new homes.

Also, accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units are not required to be fully compliant with ADA and California standards. So even though ADUs are widely accepted in Marin as a viable pathway to build more affordable housing, people with disabilities are still excluded.

Disability is the one minority that any person — regardless of age, sex, race, socio-economic status or national origin — can join at any time. This is particularly true in Marin, given our aging population. Seniors are at high risk for developing disabilities, and they make up 33% of our population. And it is projected that by 2041 over 60% of Marin’s population will be seniors.

If we want to have a thriving, safe and accessible future for current residents, multifamily housing must be built now.

As a staff member of the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, I have heard firsthand accounts: Aging in place is difficult due to the tasks required to maintain a single-family home. If you have a disability that interferes with daily life, living in an apartment or townhome where you are not responsible for an entire property will confine the burden of responsibility to just your living space.

I implore everyone to encourage developers, elected officials and policymakers to build with accessibility in mind from the very beginning. Publicly support these projects. It is a common misconception that developing accessible buildings is too costly — designing accessible spaces from the start of the planning process often leads to lower costs and better functionality than if you try to add in accessible components later on.

Simple design additions like wider doors for wheelchairs or walkers and accessible railings can improve accessibility, safety and quality of life for everyone, not just people with disabilities. The issue of a lack of accessibility in housing is deeply personal for many.

According to the National Institutes of Health, people with disabilities are the most underemployed and underpaid group in the United States. This makes the Marin housing crisis especially challenging for this group. Studio apartments for rent start at $1,700 with no guarantee they will be accessible.

It is time to change this trend and build more accessible multifamily housing — we deserve it and we have a right to it.

Carmela Davis is a housing specialist for the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative. She grew up in Mill Valley and lives in Portland, Oregon.