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About Detroit Disability Power (DDP)

DDP is a membership organization with over 260 members, including disabled people, caregivers, and our allies. Our mission is to leverage and build the organizing and political power of the disability community to ensure the full inclusion of people with disabilities in Metro Detroit. We partner with members, community organizations, and elected officials to carry out this mission and agenda. Here are our two policy priority areas for 2023:

Affordable Accessible Housing

Across the country, less than 4% of homes are considered accessible, while 15% of households include at least one disabled resident. In addition, the national affordable housing shortage means that even fewer housing units are both accessible and affordable for disabled individuals and their families. People with disabilities deserve accessible, affordable, and inclusive housing that is both integrated and permanent. Therefore, we will advocate for:

Increasing the building and maintenance of accessible housing in integrated neighborhoods that allow diverse neighbors to thrive together and provides options for families of all sizes
- Increasing the number of affordable accessible units
- Increasing the number of adaptable units and homes
- Increasing the number of universally designed housing
- Increasing the number of accessible single-family housing
- Retrofitting single family homes in City rehabilitation projects
- Increasing funding for the Detroit Housing Trust Fund by $30 million
Keeping public data on available accessible affordable housing updated in Detroit
- Fully funding and conducting a comprehensive survey of existing accessible housing units
Increasing funds for homebuyer assistance programs, especially for elders and residents with disabilities. One example is the Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, a program that offers no down payment, no closing costs or fees, and allows buyers to include the cost of renovations in their mortgage
Creating sustainable programs to provide funds for rental assistance programs beyond the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) program (now ended)
Increasing funds for Renew Detroit and other home repair/modification programs
- Creating and funding a ramp-building program
Fully funding and implementing Detroit’s Right to Counsel Ordinance to protect residents facing eviction
Further research on the benefits and challenges of a split-rate tax system in Detroit (implementation and administration costs, implications for blighted properties, etc.) This system would charge more taxes on vacant properties to encourage development, but not all implications are known
Increasing equitable Transit Oriented Development (TOD), or the intentional building of housing units near new transit developments that benefit residents rather than displacing them
- Creating affordable accessible housing criteria in competitive transportation grants
Passing State legislation to protect residents when there are prolonged elevator outages in their building
Banning source-of-income (SOI) discrimination for renters (when landlords discriminate against potential tenants because they have a housing voucher or other public benefits)
Repealing the state’s bans on rent stabilization and rent control

Increasing funds for HCBS at every level of government
Increasing access to multiple home care programs, giving residents choices
- Creating a statewide, web-based system with adequate resources for individualized options counseling to assist and guide counselor activities
Increasing the wages and benefits of direct care professionals
Designing, testing, and evaluating a standardized training/certification for direct care professionals
Eliminating Medicaid’s current institutional bias by ensuring HCBS care professionals get competitive wages/benefits compared to institutional settings
Ensuring benefits follow individuals as they transition out of institutions and into community-based, integrated housing
- Increasing funds and resources for Community Transition Services (CTS)
- Utilizing global budgeting to allow money/benefits to move across programs based on what the beneficiary wants and needs
Providing family caregivers with respite services
Passing State legislation that protects disabled residents from discrimination in healthcare rationing

Community Care Infrastructure

Part of having adequate affordable accessible housing means having access to the full range of supports older adults and people with disabilities need to live safely in their homes and be connected to their communities. This includes access to resources like Home & Community-based Services (HCBS) and proper medical care of one’s choice. Despite the urgent need for increased HCBS resources, Congress has never adequately funded such programs at the scale the nation’s population needs. The pandemic further emphasized the lack of services available, the low wages of direct care professionals, and the health risks institutionalized older adults and disabled people face. Therefore, we will advocate for:

If you have any questions about DDP’s 2023 Policy & Advocacy Agenda, you can contact our Advocacy Director, Eric Welsby at Eric@DetroitDisabilityPower.org