Bridging Blocks | Ableism & Accessibility: The Housing Crisis

Accessible, affordable housing is essential to ensuring that all residents, including older adults and people with disabilities, can live safely and independently in their communities. Stable housing combined with support services such as transportation, accessible infrastructure, and connections to healthcare, are the cornerstones to living freely and with dignity.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, homelessness in the city increased by 9.8% from 2023 to 2024. At the same time, the median U.S. home value reached  $340,200 in 2023, the highest since 2008, according to the American Community Survey. That same year, 46.3% of renters were considered cost-burdened, meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on housing. 

What systemic forces are driving the housing crisis, and what barriers prevent Philadelphia from addressing it effectively? How do housing affordability and accessibility affect the daily lives of people with disabilities?  
 

Join WHYY News Community & Engagement team for Bridging Blocks, a civic dialogue series in partnership with The Free Library of Philadelphia.

Host - Tony Cuffie Senior Manager Community & Engagement, WHYY News

Moderator - Brisa Luzzi Castro Community Convener, WHYY News

Bridging Blocks, a partnership between The Free Library of Philadelphia and WHYY, is made possible by a generous grant from Fred and Barbara Sutherland

This event is free to attend, and optional donations help WHYY continue offering meaningful community programs.