Gillibrand Introduces Two Bills To Support Accessible Housing For Seniors And People With Disabilities

This week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced two bills to support accessible housing for seniors and people with disabilities. The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act would create a new tax credit for seniors to install essential modifications to their homes to help them age in place. The Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act would expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program to support the construction of more affordable housing units with accessible features. “A safe, accessible place to live should be a right, not a privilege, for our seniors,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The VITAL Act would help ensure that affordable housing meets the mobility and accessibility needs of New York seniors and people with disabilities, allowing them to age comfortably in the communities of their choice. Additionally, the Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act would help seniors age with dignity by assisting with the cost of home modifications related to mobility needs. As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I am committed to doing everything I can to remove barriers to accessible housing, and I’m fighting hard for these bills to pass.” By 2060, an estimated one in every four Americans will be age 65 or older. Currently, about 44% of adults 65 and over have a disability. As people age, they need structurally and mechanically safe housing to accommodate their disabilities. However, as of 2011, less than 4% of our national housing supply was accessibly designed. The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act and the VITAL Act would help increase the amount of accessible housing available to American seniors and people with disabilities. The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit would create a nonrefundable tax credit for taxpayers aged 60 or older for expenses related to certain home modifications on their principal residence or a qualifying second home. The credit would be equal to the cost of eligible expenditures, such as wheelchair ramps, handrails, chair lifts, shower seats, and more, with an annual credit limitation of $10,000. Qualifying expenditures would also include certain labor costs related to the preparation, assembly, or installation of an eligible modification. U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) co-leads this legislation. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is a federal program providing tax credits to developers who build new housing for lower-income renters. The VITAL Act would add incentives for the LIHTC program to increase the number of accessible homes so that more people with disabilities and older adults can live in the communities they choose. It would also require that the states administering LIHTC ensure that at least 20% of their LIHTC units are accessible and/or walkable and rollable. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) co-leads this legislation. ###