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- Limitation of possibilities: homeowners massively refuse to rent to people with disabilities
Limitation of possibilities: homeowners massively refuse to rent to people with disabilities
Half of people with disabilities face refusals when trying to rent a home, according to real estate market analysts. Most often, these refusals are motivated by the fact that the apartment is not adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. Many owners also do not hide that they are afraid of the death of the guest. In general, 37% of homeowners and 20% of apartment search agents do not want to deal with people with disabilities, surveys show. The presence of problems with the removal of housing was also confirmed by representatives of NGOs. They stated that false stereotypes are still widespread in society, for example, that it is possible to "get infected" with cancer. About how difficult it is for people with disabilities to rent an apartment and how to deal with prejudice is in the Izvestia article.
Owners refuse to rent housing for the disabled
At least half of people with disabilities and their relatives face problems when renting apartments, analysts at the Cian housing search service have estimated. For patients with serious illnesses who come from the regions to Moscow for treatment, renting an apartment is sometimes an impossible task, the Oxygen charitable foundation for helping people with cystic fibrosis confirmed to Izvestia.
— Our patients come to wait for a lung transplant or for rehabilitation. You have to wait for many months, sometimes for several years. It is almost impossible for a person with a disability to rent an apartment in Moscow," they noted.
The problem is especially acute for families with children or adults with severe mental disabilities, said the coordinator of leisure activities at the Vera assistance Center. Hope. Love" by Nadezhda Sivakova.
— The main reason lies in behavioral features: a person can behave very loudly, his reactions can be unpredictable. There is a risk that he may unknowingly break, stain or damage something in the interior. And it can be physically difficult for parents or escorts to keep track of everything in an unfamiliar environment," she explained.
According to Nadezhda Sivakova, people with mental disabilities and disabilities face refusals when trying to rent a house not only in Moscow, but also in other Russian cities.
— More often than not, when families with mental disabilities settle down, they have to pay more. Some medical institutions provide housing, but also for money," she added.
Alla from Ivanovo, who uses a wheelchair due to spinal muscular atrophy, told Izvestia that she had been unable to rent an apartment in Moscow for a long time because she "did not meet the criteria of the owners."
— My friend and I from Ivanovo decided to move to Moscow, stayed with friends. We were sure that we would find an apartment in the capital in two days, but the search took a long time. I was asked questions: "Won't the stroller scratch the floor?" Or they claimed that the stroller could damage the furniture, and on this basis they refused. One agent who dealt with us asked: "And how will you clean?" Another wrote an hour before the meeting that the owner had rented the apartment to other people, although we had an agreement with him, the woman said.
The problem of renting housing for people with disabilities is also relevant for St. Petersburg, Izvestia found out.
— Apartment owners most often ask the following questions: "What should I do if you die in my apartment or, for example, drown in the bathroom?" — said a woman in a wheelchair, who was refused many times to rent a home after learning about her health.
People with oncological diseases who come to St. Petersburg for treatment also face problems in finding housing, Lada Davydova, head of the support service for wards of the AdVita Foundation, told Izvestia.
— Our patients come from all over the country for bone marrow transplantation. And each of them needs to solve the housing issue, since after treatment, patients need to be under constant medical supervision — sometimes for two to three months, sometimes for more than six months. When we communicate with potential landlords, it happens that people refuse the foundation as soon as they find out that cancer patients will live in their apartments. Unfortunately, despite the 21st century, carcinophobia and the myths that cancer can be "infected" are still very strong, she noted.
Stereotypes and uncomfortable questions
Many owners do not rent housing to people with disabilities, as they doubt their ability to pay and worry that a wheelchair user may ruin the repair, says Anastasia Anpilogova, creator of the Invasorro wheelchair community. And some apartment owners fear that it will be difficult to evict such a tenant later.
— Refusals are a common thing. My friends and I have repeatedly encountered situations where, after an honest answer to the question: "Are you in a wheelchair?" there was an awkward pause on the phone, followed by a refusal under a far-fetched pretext. They say so bluntly: "We're afraid you'll ruin the repairs" or "There are a lot of problems with people with disabilities." Many people rent an apartment from friends or relatives," she said.
Finding an apartment for rent that meets the minimum accessibility requirements is already a great success, Anastasia Anpilogova added.
— Even if the house has an elevator and a ramp, the apartment may be inaccessible due to narrow doorways, high thresholds or a cramped layout that does not allow you to turn around in a wheelchair, — she explained. — Apartment locations that are accessible to wheelchair users are often passed from hand to hand. For example, when the holiday season begins in St. Petersburg, all the chats explode: "Guys, recommend an apartment or a hotel."
Owners most often refuse to rent housing to people with disabilities, not because of skepticism, but because of concerns that their housing is not adapted to the needs of wheelchair users, says Maria Klimashkina, director of the foundation for children with motor disabilities, Igra.
— There are also those who worry that the stroller may damage the walls or furniture. But this is a stereotype, and it needs to be fought. It is difficult to damage property with a wheelchair. There is also a belief that families with children with disabilities have some very special needs. In fact, living with such a child teaches parents to adapt very smartly and skillfully, to find a way out of the most difficult situations," she noted.
According to Maria Klimashkina, disability is not an obstacle for wheelchair users and their families. They travel quite often and lead an active lifestyle.
— A six—year-old girl climbed Elbrus in a wheelchair, and several other children actively traveled - rafting, catamarans. And everything was fine, all this is possible if desired," she said.
Organizing an accessible environment
37% of owners and 20% of real estate agents are not ready to rent an apartment to a person with a disability, Cyana analysts said. The vast majority of them (75%) motivate the refusal by the fact that the housing is not adapted to the needs of a person with disabilities.
"One in ten is concerned that residents may need medical care that they will not be able to provide. And only 6% of owners and agents doubt the solvency of people with disabilities," the study says.
At the same time, about a third of landlords have no idea what characteristics housing should have in order for it to be comfortable for a person in a wheelchair, according to the survey results.
Difficulties in organizing an accessible environment for people in a wheelchair are also related to the need for landlords to invest their efforts and finances in repairs, the study says. In addition, the owners cannot influence some accessibility parameters — the lack of a ramp, the abundance of steps, the location of the elevator between floors.
"However, the landlord can do simple things to make the house more comfortable: for example, remove dishes from the upper shelves and remove wires from the floor," the experts noted.
Most of the apartment buildings in the old housing stock are not suitable for people with disabilities, Alexey Orekhov, General Director of the NATEK architectural and construction company, explained to Izvestia.
— In order for the apartment to be comfortable for a person with a disability, redevelopment is required. In particular, wider doorways (at least 90 cm) are needed in order for the wheelchair to pass. It is necessary to remove all thresholds or install mini-ramps. The bathroom also often does not meet the standards, on average, it will take about 500 thousand rubles to refit the bathroom," the expert said.
According to him, the equipment of apartment buildings for the disabled has been developing since 2012. And in 2016, a corresponding government decree was adopted.
The development of an inclusive society is impossible without creating equal opportunities and recognizing people with special needs as full participants in society and markets, including the real estate market, Alexandra Babkina, ESG Director of Cyana, told Izvestia.
— We are creating an opportunity for owners to specify the parameters of an affordable environment by publishing an advertisement for the sale or rental of housing. We actively communicate with homeowners. We talk about why the width of doorways is important and that strollers vary in width. We also talk about how to communicate with people with disabilities so that it doesn't cause embarrassment for both sides," she said.
As noted by Alexandra Babkina, more than 7% of owners who rent apartments for daily rent are now noting accessibility parameters for people with disabilities.
A homeowner has the right to freely dispose of his property and is not obliged to conclude a lease agreement with a specific person, said Makka Saligova, a member of the Council of Young Lawyers of the Moscow Region.
— If the landlord refuses without explaining the reasons or referring to other formal reasons — "handed over", "changed his mind", then it will be difficult to bring him to justice. But if it is proved that the refusal was motivated solely by disability, then this is discrimination," she explained.
According to the Civil Code, discrimination based on disability is an administrative offense, the lawyer noted. The article "On discrimination", including in the provision of services, provides for a fine of up to 3 thousand rubles for citizens and up to 100 thousand rubles for organizations.
We were working on the material: Irina Ionina, Sofia Prokhorchuk, Valeria Mishina, Denis Kuznetsov
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