Visitable Housing
(Public Act 10-56 (HB 5372) An Act Concerning Visitable Housing)
Visitable Housing, as defined in Public Act 10-56, is a one to four family residential structure that includes three basic architectural features to allow persons with disabilities to easily visit. These architectural features are:
- Interior doorways that provide a minimum 32-inch wide unobstructed opening
- An accessible means of egress
- A full or half bathroom on the first floor that is compliant with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.
This bill also authorizes the Department of Housing (DOH), in consultation with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA), to establish a program that encourages Connecticut developers to build residential homes that are easy for people with disabilities to visit (commonly known as visitable housing). The bill exempts developers from a requirement to obtain a State Building Code variance or exemption to construct visitable homes. In addition, it authorizes municipal legislative bodies to adopt ordinances giving these developers a property tax abatement. Within available appropriations, the bill additionally requires DOH to establish an informational webpage in a conspicuous place on its Internet website that provides links to available visitable housing resources.
An Act Concerning Visitable Housing
Resources
The Center For An Accessible Society
HUD: Strategies for Providing Accessibility and Visitability
Related Articles
NY Times - Wheelchair Users Achieve Milestone in 2 Ordinances
HGTV - 'Visitability' Makes Homes Accessible