I recently shared a letter with Newton’s planning department regarding an issue that highlights a serious, unintended consequence of our current inclusionary zoning framework. It is a real-world example of what happens when well-intentioned affordability policies fail disabled residents.
The central issue is this: most disabled people cannot afford apartments set at 100 percent Area Median Income (AMI), even when those units are labeled “affordable.”
Many of us live on fixed incomes or disability benefits that fall far below that threshold. When Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible units are priced at 100 percent AMI, they become effectively inaccessible to the very population they are intended to serve.
After months of searching, the apartment I was recently offered is the only ADA unit I have been able to find. Yet it is designated at 100 percent AMI. For someone like me, whose income is under 30 percent of AMI, this creates an impossible choice: either decline the only accessible housing option available, or accept a rent burden that will destabilize me financially.
Even with my Section 8 voucher, this rent structure would eliminate my Utility Reimbursement Payment, forcing me to absorb significant monthly costs simply because I require an accessible unit. In practical terms, this feels like being offered a wheelchair ramp—and then being charged hundreds of dollars a month to use it.
This is not just a personal hardship; it reflects a systemic inequity. When accessibility requirements intersect with zoning policies in this way, the result is a financial penalty attached to disability. Labeling a 100 percent AMI unit as “affordable” is a misnomer for disabled residents living at much lower income levels. For people dependent on Social Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), these are middle-income units, not affordable ones. As a result, urgently needed ADA apartments often end up going to nondisabled tenants who can meet the income requirements, while disabled tenants remain locked out.
I respectfully urge the City Council to amend our inclusionary zoning rules to zone ADA- designated units at lower AMI tiers—ideally 50 percent AMI or below — to ensure that accessible housing is truly accessible in both physical and financial terms.
Sincerely,
Barbara Lischinsky
Newtonville