Evans, Fitzpatrick to Introduce VITAL Act to Increase Accessible, Affordable Housing

WASHINGTON (June 8, 2023) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3rd) will introduce legislation with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1st) to increase the amount of affordable housing that’s also adaptable and accessible for seniors and people with disabilities. 

The bill is the House version of the Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act introduced by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). It would increase investment in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and ensure that developers are building more affordable housing units that are more accessible to people with disabilities and seniors and located within communities where residents can walk or move around easily to transportation and neighborhood amenities. 

Congressman Evans said, “Less than 6 percent of housing is designed to be accessible, according to a 2011 federal study. We can and must change that! The need for accessible housing is already significant, and it will continue to grow as America’s senior population grows. This bill would make a big difference, and I want to thank Senator Casey for taking the lead on it in the Senate.” 

“Our seniors and those living with a disability deserve affordable and safe housing that meets their specific needs,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “I’m proud to partner with Congressman Evans on the bipartisan Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act to address the lack of affordable housing for our vulnerable communities.” 

The federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) incentivizes developers to build new housing for low-income renters. The VITAL Act would increase funding for the LIHTC, and, through adding incentives, increase the number of accessible homes so that more people with disabilities and older adults can live in the communities they choose. It would also require over three years that the states administering LIHTC construct at least 20 percent of their LIHTC units as accessible or adaptable and walkable/rollable. 

The VITAL Act is endorsed by The Kelsey, LeadingAge, Pathways to Housing PA, TriageCancer, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Liberty Housing Development Cooperation, National Council on Independent Living, National Disability Rights Network, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, The Arc of the United States, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, Justice in Aging, National Housing Law Project, National Council on Aging, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National NeighborWorks Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, TASH, ANCOR, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, The Amputee Coalition, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, National Association of the Deaf, American Walks, Community Solutions, American Foundation of the Blind, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Caring Across Generations, and YIMBY Action. 

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