Nice town with transportation for disabled in MA (Boston, Worcester: section 8, apartment)

[Mrs. Philly]

I am looking to move from Holliston MA to a town where my adult son and I can get transportation. We are both disabled and we cannot drive. My son works in Brighton and takes the MBTA, but getting him to and from the T station is problematic. I would like to find a nice, modest home in Medway, Milford, Framingham, north Bellingham or Charlton, MA. Does anyone have any advice as to how to plan our move so that we can access transportation? There are no options in our current town (there is a bus, but it is a 45-minute walk from our home). I am very anxious to find door to door (or door to MBTA and back) transportation. Are there any other towns we should consider? Does anyone have information on any of the towns I have listed? Thank you very much.

[Erictelevision]

They have door-to-door service (the Ride). Check the website. The ride.com

[charolastra00]

What is your budget? Would you be willing to rent or look into a condo? Have you spoken to local organizations that service your disabilities about options - they might even offer services for transportation or know of affordable options? What's your level of mobility? I mean, in good weather could you use walk or use a chair to get a quarter or half of a mile to a train or subway station and then only supplement with alternative transportation during snowstorms or other issues?

For instance, a friend of mine recently moved to Attleboro because he found a handicapped accessible section 8 apartment on fairly short notice after some issues arose at his last apartment in Quincy. I thought it was a HORRIBLE idea because he has cerebral palsy and is more and more frequently limited to his wheelchair versus crutches (and he wouldn't be able to crutch too far either). Attleboro didn't seem like a great choice for someone with mobility issues to move alone, though he does not work steadily so no worries about a commute. He had some issues in Quincy using The Ride, but I'm not sure if that was The Ride's fault or if he didn't plan ahead. Either way, he didn't feel that it was reliable, efficient transportation for 2x a week usage. In Attleboro, he was able to find an apartment close to the commuter rail and is actually in Boston more frequently than he was when he lived much closer in Quincy! He had support through the process to help him find the appropriate location by reaching out to local service organizations, including a CP-focused org.

The apartment is also fairly close to a hospital where he has transferred a lot of his care. Medical access should be something you think about as well!

I'm just a little curious why you are looking so far out if your son works in Brighton. Brighton can be tricky via public transit even in the best of circumstances and it seems like this commute could be lengthy and involve several transfers. For a daily commute into Brighton, I would really only consider Framingham from your list. While I am not familiar with Framingham's offerings for those with disabilities, I assume they have more resources than the other towns you list. Charlton in particular might be suited for a commute to Springfield or Worcester, but isn't somewhere that even someone who drove or had no mobility issues would likely be happy commuting to Brighton. You may qualify for housing assistance to live closer to his work and the density of the inner suburbs also make it a bit easier to live a "normal" life with mobility restrictions versus living in a lower density area. Waltham, for instance, would not necessarily be much more expensive than Framingham but would likely offer an easier commute and more opportunities.

Uber/Lyft is an option for getting to the MBTA outside of The Ride's service area, but could get pricy. That said, for short distances even daily its cheaper than car ownership!

I hope some of this is helpful and that you find a wonderful new place to live!

[495neighbor]

It isn't my place to tell you what to do with your life. But if I were in your situation, I would lean towards finding a nice 2 bedroom apartment in an area with frequent public transportation, at least a bus system and an elevator building if the disability is physical or mobility related. I would look in Arlington, Waltham, or maybe Brighton itself. I know it is most people's dream to own a single family home, mine included. But one has to weigh the freedom of being car-free and sharing walls with neighbors vs. the independence of having one's own space but living in a car-dependent town when one doesn't drive at all.