Alexander City, Alabama is moving to convert an existing public housing building into ADA-compliant apartments, a step toward addressing an accessible housing shortage in one of the nation's most disability-affected states.
The Alexander City Housing Authority is seeking a contractor to retrofit the apartment building at 752 Mallory Circle, according to a bid opportunity posted on the housing authority's website. The scope and budget of the project are not detailed in the public posting; the full specifications are available through the housing authority directly.
The work reflects a broader crisis in public housing accessibility. Most of America's public housing stock was built in the 1960s through 1980s, well before the Fair Housing Act of 1988 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 established modern accessibility requirements. Federal law now requires that at least 5% of federally funded housing units be accessible to people with mobility disabilities, but housing authorities across the country have struggled to meet that threshold with aging, under-resourced buildings. HUD has estimated the total public housing capital backlog at over $70 billion nationally.
In Alexander City, a city of roughly 14,000 people in east-central Alabama, the need is especially acute. Alabama has a disability prevalence rate of approximately 17 to 18 percent, well above the national average of around 13 percent. Factors including an aging population, higher rates of chronic disease, and limited healthcare access all contribute. For a housing authority managing a small portfolio of units, the conversion of even a single building can meaningfully expand options for disabled residents who have likely been waiting years for an accessible home.
The housing authority has not publicly detailed what prompted the project, whether a HUD compliance requirement, an internal capital needs review, or pressure from a waitlist of disabled applicants. Disability rights groups have documented widespread non-compliance with federal accessibility standards in public housing nationally, and HUD has entered voluntary compliance agreements with housing authorities in multiple states, including Alabama, in recent years.
The housing authority is evaluating proposals, with contractor qualifications and accessibility experience weighing into the selection alongside cost.
