Bill > H1105

This bill establishes a special commission to investigate and study the need for accessible homes for the elderly, returning veterans with disabilities, and families that include persons with disabilities, with a focus on "Visitability" or "Basic Home Design," which refers to building standards that ensure homes can be easily entered and used by people with mobility limitations. The commission will review existing studies, assess current and future housing stock for accessibility, examine strategies to increase public awareness of visitable homes, and evaluate public housing policies to determine how to expand these accessibility standards to all new housing in the commonwealth, with the goal of recommending policy changes, regulations, or legislation by a specified date. The commission will be composed of members from the senate and house of representatives, along with designees from various state agencies and disability advocacy and housing organizations, as well as an architect experienced in home accessibility.