City of Philadelphia

Enhancing Emergency Shelter Accessibility in Philadelphia

In the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Direct Access is working alongside the Managing Director’s Office (MDO), the Office of Homeless Services (OHS), the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, and local nonprofits. These vital organizations offer a range of services to prevent homelessness, provide emergency shelter for those in crisis, and offer medium to long-term housing subsidies paired with essential services.

Emergency Shelters: A Lifeline for Immediate Crisis

Emergency shelters are a core service designed to save lives and assist those in immediate housing crises. With over 40 shelters run by various organizations, more than 3,000 beds are available. These shelters provide safety, meals, housing-focused case management, and connections to employment, benefits, family, and health services. Many individuals seeking emergency shelter have disabling conditions.

Direct Access: Assessing and Enhancing Accessibility

Direct Access undertakes ADA assessments of all shelter facilities, providing comprehensive reports with findings and recommendations to increase the accessibility of emergency shelter beds. Given Philadelphia’s aging housing stock and historic structures, creative approaches are necessary to achieve accessibility. The lack of affordable, accessible housing units disproportionately impacts people living in poverty.

Older housing stock challenges

Philadelphia is an older City with aging housing stock and historic structures that requires creative approaches to achieving accessibility. The presence of disabilities and lack of access to affordable, accessible housing units disproportionately impacts people living in poverty. The City’s Assessment of Fair housing (2022) cites that the number of people with disabilities in poverty citywide is 88,802; only 8,562 are living in subsidized housing units. Source: Reinvestment Fund Analysis in the City’s Assessment of Fair Housing 2022, 

https://www.phila.gov/media/20220527124813/Philadelphia- Assessment-of-Fair-Housing-Draft-5-27-22.pdf

Relevant legislations and standards include Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12101, et seq., Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 794, and the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3601, et seq. These all require every municipality’s Homeless Services to make emergency shelters, facilities and services accessible to people with disabilities.