The Kelsey | SXSW 2024 Recap
A recap of The Kelsey’s panel conversation, “Designing a Disability-Forward Housing Future,” at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024.
Author: Anna Kizito
Designing a Disability-Forward Housing Future | SXSW 2024
The Kelsey’s full panel conversation, “Designing a Disability-Forward Housing Future,” at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024.
Disability & Housing Narrative Change Cohort 2024
The Kelsey launched its inaugural Disability & Housing Narrative Change Cohort. Facilitated by staff with lived experience, this year-long virtual cohort will amplify housing stories and insights from disabled leaders nationwide to elevate the need for disability-forward housing solutions.
The Kelsey Convenes the Alabama Disability-Forward Housing Working Group
While important efforts to preserve, produce, and protect affordable housing are happening at local, regional, state, and federal levels, they often lack a disability-forward lens. Similarly, disability advocacy has not always centered housing as a core priority. The Alabama Disability-Forward Housing Working Group exists to bridge these gaps—bringing together housing and disability rights advocates and leaders to ensure that housing solutions fully include the needs and rights of people with disabilities. Our mission is to drive policies and partnerships that make inclusive, accessible, and affordable housing a reality for all Alabamians.
Martha’s Vineyard Inclusive Housing Convening
The Kelsey’s co-founder and CEO, Micaela Connery, and Housing Development Manager, Katie McAuley, visited Martha’s Vineyard to host a series of community engagement events, culminating in a Disability-Forward Housing Convening. The Convening was hosted in partnership with Martha’s Vineyard Inclusive Communities (MVIC), a local group of resident advocates who are organizing for more inclusive housing developments. The MVIC and The Kelsey will continue their work together via a Technical Assistance contract to propose a gentle-density, mixed-income housing development on the island.
The VITAL Act has been introduced in the United States Senate.
The VITAL Act, Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits Act for Accessible Living, has been introduced in the United States Senate. If enacted, the bill would increase investment in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC) and ensure that developers are building more accessible, affordable housing.
The Kelsey in Shelterforce on the Intersection of Disability and Affordable Housing
The Kelsey’s COO, Caroline Bas, and Director of Field and Capacity Building, Fatimah Aure, published a piece in Shelterforce about why designing for diverse accessibility needs benefits everyone.
The Kelsey Convenes the California Disability-Forward Housing Working Group
While efforts to preserve, produce, and protect affordable housing are happening at the local, regional, state, and federal levels, they frequently lack a disability-forward lens. Similarly, disability advocacy has not always centered housing as a core priority. The California Disability-Forward Housing Working Group exists to bridge these gaps–bringing together housing development and policy advocates and disability rights leaders to ensure that housing solutions fully include the needs and rights of people with disabilities.