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Salem planning staff, housing authority outline steps, costs to expand accessible housing
Summary
City planning staff unveiled an accessibility guide and proposed code bonuses to encourage Type A accessible units; Salem Housing Authority described an ADA waiting‑list system and said full accessible units can add roughly $10,000–$30,000 per unit in equipment costs, with retrofit capital costs remaining a major barrier.
City of Salem planning staff and Salem Housing Authority officials briefed the Human Rights Commission on how the city intends to turn recommendations from a disability rights task force into more accessible housing.
Beth Freelander, a long‑range planner in the city’s planning division, said the council-adopted Housing Production Strategy (17 actions) and a new housing accessibility guide — posted in English and Spanish on the city’s housing development resource page — are the foundation for action. The guide addresses accessibility beyond mobility (for example, sensory and cognitive accommodations) and staff previewed the resource with developers and the Salem Housing Authority to encourage early design choices that reduce the need for costlier retrofits.
Freelander described a code amendment package coming through the adoption process this year that would offer development 'bonuses' to projects that include Type A accessible units for single‑family accessory dwelling units and middle‑housing types. The incentives could allow an additional unit, reduced side/rear setbacks or modest height and density increases where developers provide accessible units, she said. The Livability and Safety bond evaluation criteria also award points for projects that provide multiples of the required Type A units; that bond criteria is scheduled to be considered by city council on June 22.
Nicole Yuse, director of housing for the Salem Housing Authority, told the commission that fully furnished ADA units carry material per‑unit costs for accessible appliances and fixtures — she estimated equipment and fixture costs can add roughly $10,000 to $30,000 per unit depending on layout and features — and that larger structural elements (wider hallways or larger bathrooms) can increase building footprints. She described SHA’s operational approach: applications include flags for ADA needs and the authority maintains separate ADA waiting lists for each property so that available accessible units are offered first to applicants who need those features; when no eligible applicant exists the agency uses a lease addendum that requires a timely transfer when an eligible applicant later appears.
SHA staff also flagged that retrofitting older buildings can require significant capital investment and that training (trauma‑informed practices, neurodiversity, communications) and service coordination are ongoing priorities. SHA offered to return in the fall with detailed counts of ADA units, waiting‑list practices, and cost estimates for potential retrofit work.
Commissioners asked how the city will communicate the guide to developers and neighborhoods; staff said they used developer focus groups, neighborhood association outreach and a new housing resources webpage, and plan additional outreach through permit centers and summer events. Freelander told commissioners the full effect of the bonuses cannot be measured until after the code amendments are adopted and used by developers.
No formal vote was taken; commissioners and staff discussed continued tracking, potential incentives beyond the code package, and how bond and other funding tools might be aligned to prioritize accessibility.
