Executive Director Opening Note
Dear Readers,
We decided to dedicate this issue of Breaking Ground to a big topic: housing.
Housing is always one of the top results on our needs assessments. It is such a complex, huge issue that it can feel hopeless – like the problem is too big to solve. For us in the disability community, there’s another layer to consider: history. For the disability community, a conversation about housing is associated with the painful history of institutionalization. Many disability laws, including the DD Act, which establishes Councils on Developmental Disabilities, are written to prevent making the same mistakes all over again. These laws tell us to focus on independence, integration, and inclusion in everything we do – including housing.
They are the driving force behind deinstitutionalization and the move to the Home and Community Based Services that define our service system today (like Employment and Community First CHOICES here in Tennessee).
And yet, decades after Home and Community Based Services became available, housing has remained a top issue for Tennesseans. We see this in our new 2025 needs assessment. In fact, housing was the only result chosen as a top barrier by every group responding to our survey: people with disabilities, family members, and professionals. Here’s what nearly 1,500 respondents told us:
Participants defined housing as more than just a place to live — it’s about having a safe, stable, and affordable home that supports independence, dignity, and wellbeing. Many emphasized the importance of being able to live the way they desire, with housing that reflects their personal needs and preferences. For some, housing was also connected to emotional well-being and selfworth. In short, housing was described not just as a basic need, but as a foundation for quality of life and inclusion in the community.
Key Themes
- Limited availability of affordable and safe housing options
- Poor quality or condition of affordable housing
- Strict or narrow eligibility for housing assistance programs
- Discrimination and lack of landlord accountability (e.g., non-compliance with ADA, denial or delay of accommodations)
- Accessibility barriers in housing (e.g., absence of accessible parking, lack of home modifications)
- Need for housing support and planning across a person’s lifespan
- Shortage of funding and facilities to support group homes or other supported living options
Tennesseans keep telling us that our current approach to housing is not working. In fact, the goals themselves have evolved with time. As illustrated by Dr. Erik Carter’s work, “integration” and “inclusion” are starting places on a longer trajectory toward belonging:
Indeed, a theme from our recent needs assessment was the lack of belonging and acceptance Tennesseans feel about
disability in our communities. We know that is the true spirit of the disability laws and principles guiding our field.
So, with history in mind, we at the Council have been watching with interest as Tennessee takes a fresh look at
housing. You’ll read in this issue about a starting place for new ideas through work led by the Department of Disability
and Aging’s housing innovation team. The report developed from this work takes into account aspirations of belonging
and the reality that Home and Community Based Services have not been the silver bullet some had hoped. It feels like
we are at a new juncture in disability history, ready to start the next chapter.
We hope you will get as much out of this edition as we did. Please contact us with your experiences and thoughts; they
guide us.
Happy reading,
Lauren Pearcy, Council Executive Director