State Qualified Allocation Plan Wheelchair Accessibility Requirement

At a glance

What: an organizer from the independent living center Your Access Advocates (first name Benji in the captions) told the committee that, after the Worcester trust fund adopted a 10% accessible-unit minimum, advocates took the idea statewide through the state's qualified allocation plan, which sets priorities for housing funding programs.
Where it stands: he said advocacy, including by committee member Steve (surname unclear in captions), succeeded in getting state affordable housing funding to require 10% wheelchair-accessible units, double the percentage he said the federal government mandates.
Next: no action; the chair thanked him and invited him back.

Units funded this way are below 80% of area median income (a little under $70,000 a year, as stated); low-income housing tax credit projects must set 20% of units at 50% of area median income and 40% at 60%, and income averaging can mix tiers.
Asked whether the apartments are subsidized or market rate, he said it is a mix, with some at very low income levels and some subsidized.

John Finn said many city residents earn under $10,000 a year and need housing now. The advocate agreed the committee and advocates should work on this together, and the chair said the city has a lot of work to do.

2026-10-20 - Accessibility Advisory Committee (video of the meeting, captions are automatic and figures may be misheard)

About 8 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - Accessibility Advisory Committee	8

2026-10-20 - Accessibility Advisory Committee — Presentation on winning a 10% wheelchair-accessible minimum through the state qualified allocation plan; questions on subsidies and on residents with very low incomes.