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Proposal to require state-funded housing projects to include up to 20% mobility-accessible units draws mixed reaction

Urban Affairs Committee (Nebraska Legislature) · January 27, 2026

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Summary

LB840 would require Affordable Housing Trust Fund projects to set 20% of units accessible for mobility impairments and 10% for hearing/vision impairments; disability advocates urged front‑end accessibility, while developers warned mandated percentages and retrofit costs risk project feasibility and suggested adaptable units plus conversion reserves instead.

Senator Victor Rountree introduced LB840 to require multifamily projects that use the state Affordable Housing Trust Fund to make 20% of units accessible for individuals with mobility impairments and 10% accessible for hearing or vision impairments. He framed the bill as necessary to ensure accessible affordable housing and to implement Olmstead-related community integration goals.

Advocates including Disability Rights Nebraska and community developers argued that federal and state programs should do more to ensure accessible units up front, rather than shifting conversion costs to tenants. Testimony cited national data showing many U.S. households include people with mobility-related disabilities and local data that housing production has not kept pace with need.

Developers and housing industry witnesses opposed the bill as written. They said most projects already build adaptable units that can be converted and that the federal norm for many funded projects is generally 5% mobility and 2% sensory accessibility; they estimated full upfront accessible construction costs roughly $5,000 more per unit for mobility conversions and suggested alternatives: lower mandatory percentages (10%/5%), exemptions for rehabilitation/adaptive reuse, or a required conversion reserve that preserves financial viability.

Committee members pressed on who pays conversion costs, lease-up dynamics when accessible units are occupied by non-disabled tenants, and the financial effect on small and rehab projects. Senators agreed to convene follow-up meetings with stakeholders to refine percentages, exemptions and implementation mechanisms before advancing the bill.