If you ever watch any old movies about World War II, you will almost always see an airplane scene. These scenes are usually full of quick correspondences between pilots characterized by “pilot talk”. One example of this unique vernacular is the phrase “got your six”, which more simply translates to “I’ve got your back”. It…

“I have so much going on that I can’t seem to make headway on anything. And then there is another fire that needs tending to, and another one after that. I never seem to have a chance to get to the really important things I have to do. I go home at the end of…

E&A Team President, Mark English, has an article in the May/June 2019 CARH Newsletter entitled “Are You Playing Chess or Checkers?” You can read this insightful article on how the “game” of accessibility must be played more like Chess than Checkers in order to be proactive on Accessibility as the Department of Justice strongly suggests in…

If you recall, in my previous article, “Perfect is the Enemy of Good,” I discussed the new Accessibility Initiative introduced by the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and how we, as an industry, need to change the way we do business, in part, by being pro-active rather than re-active when it comes to the accessibility of…

DHCD Helps Construction Trades Learn About Accessible Housing. It is important that construction trade professionals understand how to build affordable housing that is accessible to everyone, particularly residents who want to age in place. That’s why DHCD provides accessibility training to developers, general contractors, architects and other construction professionals involved in many DHCD-financed affordable housing projects.…

François-Marie Arouet, whose pen name was Voltaire, was a French writer, historian, and philosopher in the 1700s. Voltaire, known for his wit, was an outspoken advocate of civil liberties. When Voltaire coined the phrase “perfect is the enemy of good”, I am quite sure he was not thinking about the imperfections of two by fours, sheetrock, and accessibility regulations.…

Do you know that a projected 325,000 new apartments are needed in the United States every year from now until 2030 to meet the growing demand for apartments?  See “The U.S. Needs 4.6 Million new Apartments By 2030 To Keep Up with Demand,” National Multifamily Housing Council Rental Housing Journal, June 12, 20.  According to a recent article in the…

Consider the requirements for an accessible route under the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) and the Fair Housing Design Manual.  Bear in mind the original “purpose” of the FHAA requirements:  to make the multi-family housing (MFH) stock in the private sector in the U.S. more useable for all.  Although some people would argue otherwise, the…