Population Aging,Disability and Housing Accessibility: Implications for Sub-national Areas in the United States

The older population in many countries is large and growing rapidly, increasing the number of people with disabilities and driving up the need for accessible housing. In a previous study, the authors projected the number of households in the USA with at least one disabled resident and estimated the probability that a newly built single-family detached unit will house at least one disabled resident during its expected lifetime. This study extends the analysis to the sub-national level by constructing similar estimates and projections for four states that differ widely on two characteristics affecting the need for accessible housing: age structure and disability rates. The results vary from state to state, but all four display a substantial need for accessible housing. Homebuilders, planners and policy makers are urged to account for this need when building new homes and making modifications to the current housing stock.