Skip to main content The Kelsey

Building Opportunity Through Inclusivity

Advancing disability-forward housing solutions that open doors to homes and opportunities for everyone.

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An image of The Kelsey team, people with and without disabilities of different genders and races, on a construction site. They are wearing hard hats with The Kelsey logo and holding shovels.

“I can’t tell you how much better a community member I can be when where I live I’m being accepted by my neighbors, my neighborhood, my whole community.”

Debra, The Kelsey Ayer Station Resident
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Kelsey’s Story

What started with Kelsey has become a movement co-led by people with and without disabilities to build a disability-forward housing future. 

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Advancing New Solutions Together

We center on the perspectives of people with disabilities to foster inclusive communities and inform better housing policies, design standards, development strategies, and resident services. We’re proud to do this work in partnership with advocates, disability organizations, families, housing providers, and municipalities across the country.

Learn more about our communities.

Build With Us
Three people are gathered outdoors near The Kelsey Ayer Station entrance decorated with a column of colorful balloons. They are smiling at the camera while holding plates of food. The person on the left, wearing a white blouse and green pants, holds a bowl and a gift bag. The person in the middle sits on a low wall, holding a plate of food, and a person on the right leans in beside them with their own plate. Trees, a sidewalk, and a person walking in the background are visible.
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Over 280 homes developed and supported
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$187M Funding Unlocked from Major Partners
People walk and wheel through the lobby of a building.
6,000+ Community Leaders Engaged
A gif graphic says "home for more inclusion, community, diversity, opportunity. " There is a colorful illustration of people on the GIF

Inclusive Design Standards

Creating disability-forward housing means going beyond building code, and we are committed to making this the standard. Municipalities, developers, designers, and community partners have advanced this vision by adopting the Inclusive Design Standards. The Inclusive Design Standards consist of 300+ elements that reflect design and operations choices that support affordability, accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, racial equity, and safety in housing developments.

Explore the Inclusive Design Standards and real-world case studies

There are four million adults with disabilities whose sole source of income is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). They are priced out of every housing market in the country and would have to spend 142% of their entire income to afford basic housing.

Resident Stories

Our communities demonstrate what becomes possible when accessibility, affordability, and inclusion are central to every choice we make. The Kelsey residents – people with and without disabilities, representing a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences – are the most powerful voices in showing the impact of disability-forward housing. We’re honored that they’ve shared their experiences with us.

Discover their stories
Four illustrated portraits of The Kelsey residents. From left to right, Jonta, a Black woman with long brown hair, is smiling and wearing a black t-shirt. Jake, a white man with brown hair pulled into a ponytail, wears a plaid shirt and sits in his wheelchair, smiling. Barry, a man with short black hair and glasses, is softly smiling and wearing a red t-shirt. Darcy, a white woman with short blonde hair, is wearing a purple patterned shirt and sitting in her wheelchair, smiling.

Get involved and join us with your support.

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