(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- An advocacy group for the disabled says that even though the City of Chicago is getting federal money for affordable, accessible housing, the city has failed to enforce accessible federal housing standards and driving many disabled persons into suboptimal homes.
One reason persons with disabilities too often end up in housing with stairs, or nursing homes that disconnect them from the mainstream of society: They cannot find affordable, accessible housing in Chicago.
That’s what the advocacy group Access Living says it discovered, and it sued the city in 2018.
Andres Gallegos, the organization’s former chair, says the city has not done what’s it’s required to do under law, such as inspect buildings before they’re occupied to make sure to make sure they comply with federal standards for the disabled.
“Yet instead of focusing on remediation and collaborating with Access Living to arrive at a solution, they’ve chosen to fight the allegations in court, now to the tune of $4 million and growing,” Gallegos said.
“That, to us, was particularly startling.”
Access Living says it has recently discovered that the city does not know how many accessible units have been built with federal assistance, or even which units are the accessible units.
The Chicago law department issued the following statement:
"The City does not comment on ongoing litigation."
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