Hey, friends, I’ve got something frustrating that I need to talk about. First, let me share a few truths:

1) I’m in the apartment complex best suited to my need for community, access to public transit, accessible walkways, etc.

2) I want to stay here a long time.

3) The entrance to that complex that I can use is not safe for me or most of my friends.

3 makes me mad. Here’s why. Without getting into how old my complex is, it’s one of the many (MANY) in my neck of the woods from before the fair housing act

I convinced myself for a long time that I could cope with this incredibly steep ramp, with no flat area to allow the door to open.

Then, I almost fell. And almost fell again. And now I have a dog running around me while I run this balancing act.

It isn’t safe.

So, you might be thinking, why not ask the complex to build an ADA compliant ramp? The answer is, legally, they don’t have to, based on how old the building is.

If they say no, the only recourse the fair housing act gives me is that I can pay for the ramp myself...

...and the complex legally can’t say no. All this, so I can use the one way I have out of my building without breaking my neck.

And, listen, I thought that this was going to suck but I could afford it-but, frankly, I might not even be able to do that. The ramp is concrete, and if we want a weatherproof ramp (necessary in rainy MD) it also needs to be concrete.

Concrete is the most expensive material.

I’m researching quotes to present the complex with when I reach out to them later this month, but I need you to imagine what this feels like

To find the perfect home, and pay for it, and even then know it doesn’t really want you there

And listen, I’ve got some financial privilege! I blow through a lot of money on meds and allergen safe food, but I’m technically middle class. I have a savings account that’s a whole year old.

Building a safe ramp could easily clear out that whole savings account.