The National Disability Finance Coalition is pleased to announce the release of our new resource, A CDFI Primer for Investing in Disability-Inclusive Housing: Financing Choice, Accessibility, and Community Inclusion for People with Disabilities. The report examines how community development financial institutions can help address one of the most persistent challenges facing people with disabilities: access to affordable, accessible housing in the communities where they choose to live.
Across the country, affordable housing is in short supply. For people with disabilities, the challenge is compounded by the need for homes that are also accessible and connected to community life. Too many people face housing instability, isolation, or limited options because housing that meets their needs simply does not exist at sufficient scale. The problem is particularly acute for people living on Supplemental Security Income and other extremely low incomes.
The new primer makes the case that CDFIs are uniquely positioned to help close this gap.
Disability-friendly housing projects often require flexible financing, layered funding sources, strong community partnerships, and patient capital. These are areas where mission-driven lenders already excel. The paper explores how familiar CDFI tools such as predevelopment loans, acquisition financing, construction lending, permanent financing, consumer lending, and technical assistance can be applied to expand housing opportunities for people with disabilities.
The publication also outlines key principles that should guide disability housing. Housing should promote choice, independence, affordability, accessibility, and community inclusion. People with disabilities are not a single population with a single housing preference. Some may seek homeownership. Others may prefer rental housing, shared living arrangements, or housing supported by vouchers. Strong housing systems provide options and allow individuals to decide where and with whom they live.
Readers will find an overview of housing models, financing strategies, real-world examples, and practical considerations for lenders, developers, disability-serving organizations, and policymakers. The report highlights opportunities for collaboration and offers a roadmap for building a stronger pipeline of projects that support long-term housing stability and community participation.
At NDFC, we believe disability- housing represents a significant opportunity for the community development finance sector. By bringing together flexible capital, technical expertise, partnerships, and advocacy, CDFIs can help create communities where people with disabilities have meaningful housing choices, the opportunity to establish their social networks, and paths to economic sustainability.
We invite lenders, housing professionals, disability advocates, funders, and community partners to read the primer and join the conversation about what it will take to expand disability-friendly housing nationwide.