moving to the East Bay - accessible housing? (San Francisco, Oakland: middle-class, real estate)

[johnny22]

I'm moving to the East Bay (Oakland/Berkeley) from out of state. I'm a middle-class professional, and I'm disabled -- I use a wheelchair.

I can't seem to find any handicap accessible housing that isn't public housing or otherwise intended for very low-income people. My budget is smaller than I'd like (about $1500 for a 1br or studio), but I'm not poor.

Any tips on where to look and how to find wheelchair-accessible housing? It doesn't have to be 100% ADA accessible, but it needs some of the basics (no stairs, non-carpeted floors). Are there special listings somewhere? Or certain neighborhoods that tend to have more accessible buildings? I don't really want to end up in Emeryville, but if all the new construction there means there are more accessible options, I guess I'd consider it.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by johnny22

I'm moving to the East Bay (Oakland/Berkeley) from out of state. I'm a middle-class professional, and I'm disabled -- I use a wheelchair.

I can't seem to find any handicap accessible housing that isn't public housing or otherwise intended for very low-income people. My budget is smaller than I'd like (about $1500 for a 1br or studio), but I'm not poor.

Any tips on where to look and how to find wheelchair-accessible housing? It doesn't have to be 100% ADA accessible, but it needs some of the basics (no stairs, non-carpeted floors). Are there special listings somewhere? Or certain neighborhoods that tend to have more accessible buildings? I don't really want to end up in Emeryville, but if all the new construction there means there are more accessible options, I guess I'd consider it.

Maybe you could put an announcement up on the Craigslist housing pages for Berkeley, Oakland and Kensington, saying you're looking for wheelchair-accessible housing.

[johnny22]

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that a couple weeks ago...I got one response, and it was in Concord. I don't know why accessible apartments are so often 20-50 miles outside of a given city.

[eastbayhopeful]

I recently moved to Berkeley and I went to some open houses for places that were exactly what you are describing. They were all also under your budget as I only looked at places under $1200. None of them were listed as wheelchair accessible from what I can recall, but the ones I noticed were what you were describing were mostly granny units and converted ground floor apartments. My suggestion would be to inquire on the ads with a list of what you are looking for and you will probably find a lot more options than you are now.

As for areas to look in, I would concentrate your search in Berkeley at least to places further from campus. The apartments I saw near there were usually mid rise or multi-units with lots of stairs or an elevator. Can you have a couple front stairs if they allow you to put up a ramp? I don't know how that would work or how affordable it might be, but that would lend you even more options.

I hope this helps, although I am definitely not as familiar with where you might look in Oakland as I only saw a couple places before crossing it off my list. I did see the gamut in Berkeley (and to a lesser extent, Albany) as it took me two months to find the right place. Good luck!

[johnny22]

Thank you! That's really helpful. I'm glad to hear that there is accessible housing stock, even if I have to look a little harder for it. I'm fine with a place that I have to add a ramp to, although you really need a lot of room to meet ADA specs for the incline/grade, so it might not always be possible.

As encouraging as your first two paragraphs were, your last one is quite scary! Why did it take you two months to find a place? Was there that much demand for apartments, or did you have really specific requirements? I'm moving from out of state, so I'll have a week at most to look at places in person, and probably more like a weekend.

[Ruth4Truth]

That's what I was thinking, too; basement in-law units are often wheelchair-accessible. It's interesting; I rented out a basement unit once, and it never occurred to me to advertise it as wheelchair-accessible. One issue potentially would be: are the appliances and bathroom also handicapped-accessible? I don't know if there are standards for that sort of thing, for advertising a unit as wheelchair accessible.

[johnny22]

May I ask how a basement unit is wheelchair-accessible? Is the basement actually at ground-level? I'm coming from the Midwest, where basement units are very rarely without stairs.

It might make sense that in-law units are accessible, actually--in-laws are probably aging and need a more accessible space.

There are legal standards for advertising a place as wheelchair-accessible, but I'm not a landlord and I'm not well-versed in them. They may vary in different municipalities, too. The other standards probably have to do with the width of doorways and entrances, as well as the height of the counters. I would personally need laundry and a dishwasher, because my condition affects my arms as well, but I don't think that's usually a legal requirement.

For me, a place doesn't have to be 100% ADA accessible. I have the ability to stand some, but I need the ability to roll into my house when necessary. But it's hard to tell from ads whether a place might be accessible.

I was hoping there might be a disabled community group that had advice on particular landlords or parts of town to check out, but all I can find are more like emergency housing services. Those services are very important, they're just not what I need.

[SFcatgirl]

Just wanted to say I hope you find something! Newer apartment buildings might be more likely to have things like wheelchair access.

[johnny22]

Thanks! Where would those newer buildings be? From when I lived in the East Bay before (2005), I recall a lot of big new buildings in Emeryville. Are the big buildings around Lake Merritt newer too? I've found a few apartment complexes in Jack London Square, too, but I don't know anything about that area.

Those new buildings tend be a lot more expensive, so I'd rather find an in-law unit or something if possible...but it's good to have a backup plan.

[SFcatgirl]

I wish I knew the East Bay well enough to say. New one's are popping up all over San Francisco these days.There are at least four where I live. So I would expect the same to be happening in the East Bay. I wonder if there is some sort of housing group in the East bay that might have that sort of info for you? Have you tried contacting any real estate companies?