Accessible Housing Matters
88 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 29 ratingsThere is a lot of talk out there about the housing affordability crisis. Often lost or forgotten in those dialogues is that for people with disabilities, most of the housing in the country is not accessible. For people with disabilities, and their families, finding suitable housing can often be one of THE major sources of anxiety and stress in their lives. And this subject is, for the most part, ignored by the mainstream media.
This podcast is designed to raise awareness about all matters in the intersection of housing and accessibility. We will speak with knowledgeable experts about the challenges and issues associated with accessible housing. We will hear some success stories. We will share insights and knowledge. We will raise the level of awareness about the importance of accessibility in housing. Our goal? To share and spark new insights into creative ways to solve housing problems. And to improve the quality of the debate about housing in this country.
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Episodes
Ep. 36 - Adventures in House Hunting, Part 4 -- James & Joellen
January 31, 2022 06:00 - 27 minutes - 37.5 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome James and Joellen Conway James and Joellen bought their new home together in Rio Vista, California last year. Rio Vista is about 70 miles from San Francisco. Listen to find out more about: [00:01 - ] Opening Segment I welcome James and Joellen Conway to the Show Bio [01:26 - 24:12] James & Joellen’s House Hunting Adventure James and Joellen share about the house that they bought Six Years ...
The Invisible Housing Crisis – How the Housing Needs of Millions of People with Disabilities are Being Overlooked
January 24, 2022 06:00 - 29 minutes - 40.1 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Desiree Kameka Galloway Desiree Kameka Galloway is a recognized disability housing expert. As the Director of the Autism Housing Network for the Madison House Autism Foundation, she spent over a decade researching the barriers and identifying unique opportunities to increase residential options for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, has led national advocacy efforts on issues of autism in adult...
A Story of Better Independent Living -- How Chris Cooley uses Remote Support Technology to Live Safely and Securely in His Own Home
January 17, 2022 06:00 - 31 minutes - 42.7 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Don Shirley and Chris Cooley SafeinHome President Don Shirley brings more than thirty-five years of innovative healthcare and technology experience to the company and industry. Don has been instrumental in such endeavors as bringing home-dialysis therapies to patients seeking self-directed lifestyles, to being one of the pioneers in web-based purchasing for the healthcare industry. With a focus on safety, inde...
Adventures in Home Hunting, Part 3 – Owen & Melissa
January 10, 2022 06:00 - 26 minutes - 36.2 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Owen Cooper and Melissa Crisp-Cooper Melissa and Owen are happily married. Melissa is a writer and health care advocate for people with disabilities. Owen is a software engineer and proud UC Berkeley alumni. They both have cerebral palsy. They are active in the community and love going on travel adventures. They live with two feisty black cats – Coffee and Chai. In 2020, they bought a single-story house in...
The Best of Accessible Housing Matters: Episode #8 (First aired July 5th, 2021) Sunflower Hill - A Community Model for Accessible Housing
January 03, 2022 06:00 - 29 minutes - 39.9 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Kathy Layman and Janeen Rubino-Brumm, board members of Sunflower Hill. Kathy has been serving as the Board President for three years. She has been closely involved with her grandson who has epilepsy and intellectual and developmental abilities resulting in her passion for creating affordable housing opportunities and activities fueled by her belief that there should be options and choices for everyone regardless of ...
The Best of Accessible Housing Matters: Episode #23 (First aired October 18th, 2021) Adventures in House Hunting, Part 1 – Shamon and Her Son Demoriae
December 27, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Shamon Blue Shamon Blue is a first-time homeowner in California. She bought her home last year in the city of Antioch California, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. She lives there happily with her 12-year-old son, Demoriae. Listen to find out more about: [00:01 - 02:52] Opening Segment I welcome Shamon Blue to the Show Bio Shamon’s and Demoriae’s journey to homeownership told backward ...
Kyle’s Story - The Unique Housing Challenge for People with Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's
December 20, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 41.2 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Paula Gann Paula Gann became involved in advocating for the planning and delivery of services for Alzheimer’s disease when her daughter, Kyle, who has Down syndrome, at age 45 was diagnosed with the disease. Now Paula knows there is a high co-occurrence of Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease, but she was unaware of this when she was given Kyle’s diagnosis. That phone call led Paula on a determined journey to l...
Protecting the Housing Rights of People with Disabilities, Part 2 -- The Los Angeles Voluntary Compliance Agreement and HUD’s Role in Disaster Recovery
December 13, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I’m back with Lynn Grosso Lynn Grosso is the Director of Enforcement in HUD’s Office of Fair Housing. In this capacity, she oversees the administration of HUD’s national fair housing enforcement and compliance operations. Lynn is at the forefront of many of the Department’s highest profile fair housing initiatives, particularly in the area of disability rights and accessible housing. Lynn led the successful negotia...
Protecting the Housing Rights of People with Disabilities, Part 1 -- HUD’s Role in Enforcing Fair Housing Law around Design and Construction
December 06, 2021 06:00 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Lynn Grosso Lynn Grosso is the Director of Enforcement in HUD’s Office of Fair Housing. In this capacity, she oversees the administration of HUD’s national fair housing enforcement and compliance operations. Lynn is at the forefront of many of the Department’s highest-profile fair housing initiatives, particularly in the area of disability rights and accessible housing. Lynn led the successful negotiation...
Adventures in Home Hunting, Part 2 – Luke Buys His First Home
November 29, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Luke Easterwood Originally from Rome, Georgia, Luke's been living on the West Coast since 2012. He spent a few years in Seattle for grad school and then moved to the Bay Area in 2015 for work. Professionally, he has over 9 years of writing experience at companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google, Luke does all things Writing and Content Design. He is passionate about saying a lot with a little, engaging and conve...
KW-Signs: Real Estate Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
November 22, 2021 06:00 - 28 minutes - 39.3 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Bernardo Vallarino Bernardo Vallarino is a dual career agent from Dallas Fort-Worth with more than 15 years of experience in real estate. Most of his real estate career has been as a member and leader of the EVAL Team, a small group of agents working in residential, commercial, and industrial real estate. And for the past 5 years, Vallarino has spearheaded KW-Signs, a real estate organization and business focus...
Making Your Home Work Better – How a Universal Design Expert Remodels Spaces To Make Them More Accessible
November 15, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 42 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Alisa Hofmann Alisa has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Interior Design and Architecture from the Academy of Art in San Francisco and has been designing kitchens and baths since the year 2000. She founded Design Set Match in 2010 in the middle of the recession and it was through her passion for remodeling and previously formed business relationships that the company took hold and grew. Alisa is a...
Living Unlimited – Developing Housing for People with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
November 08, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 35.8 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Alex Krem Alex Krem has been actively involved with the special needs community since 1957. He is co-founder and chair of Living Unlimited. Alex is also chair and interim executive director of Camping Unlimited for Developmentally Disabled, established in 1957. In summer of 2019, it will hosted more than 800 children and adults and provided more than 6,000 camper-days and nights of recreation and independence-bu...
Modifying Homes for Access… a 45+ Year Legacy
November 01, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 38.5 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Mark Feinman Mark was born in 1953 and grew up in New York. He has been tinkering, inventing and building since childhood. He connected with the Berkeley disabled community in 1976 and has been working continuously with the Berkeley Center for Independent Living (TheCIL) since then. His company Complete Access provides custom accessibility solutions allowing people to live barrier-free in their homes. The ma...
HB101: How Minnesota is Leading the Way in Creating a One-Stop Web Portal for Accessible Housing
October 25, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 40 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Nicholas Love Nicholas Love is the Community Inclusion Director at the World Institute on Disability (WID). WID strives to eliminate the barriers to full inclusion of people with disabilities by addressing and influencing policies, systems, and tools. Nicholas’ work at WID focuses on the identification, creation, and utilization of technology, training, technical assistance, and tools that drive and respond to U...
Adventures in House Hunting, Part 1 – Shamon and Her Son Demoriae
October 18, 2021 05:00 - 26 minutes - 36.1 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Shamon Blue Shamon Blue is a first-time homeowner in California. She bought her home last year in the city of Antioch California, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. She lives there happily with her 12-year-old son, Demoriae. Listen to find out more about: [00:01 - 02:34] Opening Segment I welcome Shamon Blue to the Show Bio Shamon’s and Demoriae’s journey to homeownership told backward ...
Housing Support for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities – The Regional Center Model
October 11, 2021 05:00 - 27 minutes - 37.5 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Steve Robinson Steve Robinson is the Director of Community Services at the Regional Center of the East Bay. The Regional Center of the East Bay (RCEB) is one of 21 Regional Centers that is a community-based, private non-profit corporation under contract with the California Department of Developmental Services. RCEB works in partnership with many individuals and agencies to plan and coordinate services and support for p...
Designing Accessible Spaces, An Interview with Architect Erick Mikiten
October 04, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Architect Erick Mikiten Erick Mikiten, AIA, started Mikiten Architecture in 1991 to elevate multi-family affording housing to a higher level of care and design. As a wheelchair-rider and hard-of-hearing architect, Erick has been sought after by clients around the country to bring new, creative levels of design to mixed-use, library, museum, global corporate workplace, and single- and multi-family projects, and a...
The Idaho Access Project – A New Approach to Building Accessible Communities
September 27, 2021 05:00 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Dianna Willis, Jeremy Maxand, and Erik Kingston Dianna Willis is a co-founder and Board President of the Idaho Access Project, a 501c3 non-profit organization advancing equality for people with disabilities. She worked in public health for eight years and has a diverse educational background. In 2013, she earned a M.Ed. degree. She holds an M.A. from Georgetown University in Applied Demography (1999) and a B.A. ...
How The Kelsey is Making a Difference in Accessible Housing through its Inclusive Development and Advocacy Model
September 20, 2021 05:00 - 30 minutes - 42.3 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Micaela Connery Micaela co-founded The Kelsey with her cousin Kelsey, who continues to inspire and inform the mission and work today. Micaela has been working on inclusion in communities her entire life. She has seen firsthand the housing crisis facing adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Micaela completed her MPP at Harvard Kennedy School and MBA as a Mitchell Scholar at University C...
How Assistive Technology is Making Housing More Accessible with Kathrine Crowley of Ability Tools
September 13, 2021 05:00 - 30 minutes - 42.4 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Kathrine Crowley. Kathrine is the Ability Tools Program Manager for California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. Her role is to facilitate access and acquisition of Assistive Technology or “AT” to consumers across the state and provide technical assistance and training to Independent Living Centers, Device Lending and Demonstration Centers, Disability Disaster and Access Resource Centers and community members t...
Friends of Children with Special Needs – A Unique Accessible Housing Community, with Anna Wang
September 06, 2021 05:00 - 32 minutes - 44.2 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Anna Wang. Anna Wang is a mother, an advocate and the co-founder and vice president of Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN). Twenty-eight years ago, her son Lawrence was diagnosed with autism. In 1996, she became the co-founder and Vice President of Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) which currently serves more than 1000 families and 600 individuals on a daily basis. Anna is well-known for designi...
Disaster Planning and Accessible Housing with Dawn Skaggs
August 23, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 41 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Dawn Skaggs. Dawn Skaggs is the Emergency, Disaster and Climate Resilience Specialist for the World Institute on Disabilities. Her particular expertise is in the application of asset-based whole community inclusion throughout the disaster cycle to build resilience throughout all community sectors including community living, health and human services, infrastructure, culture, and the economy. Dawn is the lead curriculu...
How Advances in Assistive Technology & Our Aging Society Mean a Paradigm Shift in How We Have to Think About Accessible Housing
August 16, 2021 05:00 - 32 minutes - 45.1 MBNOTE: I wanted to let you know that about half-way through today’s episode, my guest's pet cockatoo Mimo decided to share his thought’s on the conversation we were having. So don’t be alarmed by his squeaks and squacks. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Bill Pelter Bill Pelter is a Consultant to Ability Now Bay Area, and has been with the organization since 1999. Ability Now B...
How to Save Money for Housing and NOT Lose Your Government Benefits
August 09, 2021 05:00 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Dante Allen, the Executive Director of CalABLE. Dante is responsible for directing the operations of CalABLE. Prior to joining CalABLE, Dante had a leadership role with the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity where he developed communications strategies to promote the concepts related to the social determinants of health. He also served as a key advisor to the Deputy Director of the Office o...
Creating Accessible & Affordable ADUs with Jennifer Duffy of Hello Housing
August 02, 2021 05:00 - 31 minutes - 43.9 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Jennifer Duffy. Jennifer brings 20 years of experience pioneering new models of housing and service delivery for individuals and working families across the socioeconomic spectrum. Designing and implementing new programs is a strength and a passion that Jennifer brings to her work. She has helped Bay Area cities and counties craft new approaches to maintain and protect existing affordable housing stock during the econom...
Creating Awareness About Accessibility in Residential Real Estate with Barry Long
July 26, 2021 05:00 - 32 minutes - 45 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Barry Long. Barry is a Luxury Residential & Accessible Home Specialist and Co-Founder of Able Environments. He is a Real Estate broker for Marketplace Sotheby’s International Realty and a voting member of the Washington Building Code Council representing people with disabilities. He offers his clients in Washington State the distinct capability to find and market Accessible, Age-in-Place, and Universal Design propert...
Advocating for Accessible Housing with Sheraden Nicholau
July 19, 2021 05:00 - 33 minutes - 76.7 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Sheraden Nicholau Sheraden Nicholau is the Regional Manager for the CA State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD), covering the Bay Area region. SCDD uses advocacy, capacity-building and systemic change to support Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Sheraden has held both lead and individual contributor roles in cross-sector and intra-industry advisory...
Protecting your Housing Rights: California’s Department of Fair Employment & Housing with Branden Butler
July 12, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 72.9 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Branden Butler Branden Butler is the Assistant Deputy Director of Education and Outreach for the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). Prior to joining DFEH in 2019, Branden was the Senior Attorney of the Fair Housing Center of the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. (LASSD), where for nine years he was instrumental in creating the first fair housing services program at LASSD that provid...
Sunflower Hill - A Community Model for Accessible Housing
July 05, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 65.7 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Kathy Layman and Janeen Rubino-Brumm, board members of Sunflower Hill. Kathy has been serving as the Board President for three years. She has been closely involved with her grandson who has epilepsy and intellectual and developmental abilities resulting in her passion for creating affordable housing opportunities and activities fueled by her belief that there should be options and choices for everyone regardless of ...
Providing Accessible Housing for People with Disabilities, with Darin Lounds
June 28, 2021 05:00 - 30 minutes - 68.7 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Darin Lounds, President of Lanterman Housing Alliance and Executive Director of The Housing Consortium of the East Bay. Darin has been a long time disability advocate and has 25 years of experience in accessible housing. He has a mission of creating inclusive communities through affordable housing for people with special needs. Darin will share with us how he works to create more opportunities for accessible housin...
Why Federal Housing Laws Don’t Go Far Enough, with Jan Garrett
June 21, 2021 05:00 - 30 minutes - 69.7 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Jan Garrett, Program Manager at Pacific ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Center. She is on a mission -- to enhance understanding of disability rights laws and accessibility standards as well as to ensure that individuals with disabilities are an integral part of diversity and inclusion efforts. But are federal housing laws helping with this effort? Let’s dive in on why federal housing laws don’t go far enough, and ...
The Special Needs Trust with Stephen Dale
June 14, 2021 07:00 - 30 minutes - 68.9 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome attorney Stephen Dale. Stephen and I discuss Special Needs Trusts and how they can be beneficial for people with disabilities. Stephen's law firm has helped countless families achieve control over their lives and live more independently through legal options like special needs trusts. As a long-time advocate in the disabled community, Stephen will walk us through how we can navigate these tools and find better sol...
Disability Culture and Accessible Housing with Steve Brown
June 07, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 65.7 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! On today’s episode, I welcome Steve Brown to the show. Steve is a historian, professor at the Center of Disability Studies, and the author of numerous books and articles about disability rights. Steve will share what disability culture is and how it relates to accessible housing in general. At the end of the day, the issue of providing accessible housing in our communities is clearly related to the way society manages its relationship with people ...
Empowering Individuals with disabilities to Live in their Own Homes with Tom Heinz
May 31, 2021 05:00 - 27 minutes - 62.6 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome the Executive Director and founder of East Bay Innovations, Tom Heinz. Tom helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live independent lives. He shares with how his agency has helped people find accessible homes, as well as the government programs that support their efforts. Listen to find out more about: [00:01 - 7:26] Opening Segment I welcome Tom Heinz to the show East Bay I...
A New Option for Accessible Housing with RJ Adler
May 24, 2021 05:00 - 31 minutes - 50.8 MBWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! We don’t have enough accessible housing. Today we speak with RJ Adler about his new idea to help solve the problem. RJ will share with us today how WheelPad’s innovative approach will create a new option for people to add more space to their homes, while maintaining accessibility and affordability! With that, let’s jump right in! Listen to find out more about: [00:00 - 09:10] Opening Segment I welcome RJ to the show Whe...
Accessible Housing Matters Podcast - My Big "Why"
May 24, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 39.7 MBWelcome to the first-ever episode of Accessible Housing Matters! Today, I am here with Christine Malec, an arts and culture consultant in the blind community and the Co-Host of the podcast “Talk Description to Me”. Christine will help me share what this podcast is all about. We will explore the mission and the goals of this podcast, and what I have planned for listeners in the future. So let’s jump right in and find out what’s in store for you! [00:00 - 06:19] Opening Segment W...
Accessible Housing Matters Trailer
May 05, 2021 14:21 - 2 minutes - 4.2 MBHi! I'm Stephen Beard. Welcome to Accessible Housing Matters! Listen to find out more about: How I started as a real estate agent for people with disabilities How I met advocates, agencies, and organizations doing incredible work in the community How Accessible Housing Matters is designed to raise awareness about all issues in the intersection of accessibility and housing How we will have new guests each week, including disability advocates, planners, lawyers, politicians, pas...