The Kelsey is a development and advocacy organization whose work in affordable housing falls at the intersection of disability justice and trauma-informed design. As they describe on their website, the organization engages with the disabled community to design affordable housing that is accessible and meets the needs of people with disabilities. As The Kelsey highlighted at the roundtable, disabled people have often experienced trauma from navigating a world that is not designed to meet their access needs. The Kelsey uses terms like “disability-forward” and “inclusive” to describe their work. Their advocacy for disability-forward housing design draws on the lived experiences of people with disabilities to understand the impact of the shortage of accessible housing and the importance of meeting all accessibility needs, including visual needs, sensory needs, hearing needs, physical needs, and the needs of people with chronic illnesses. At the roundtable, The Kelsey emphasized that centering access needs and using universal design strategies—which support designing features and spaces for the widest possible use and access—are trauma-informed strategies.

In addition to developing accessible, community-driven spaces, The Kelsey aims to create a sense of community and combat the historical isolation of people with disabilities. The organization advocates for accessible housing in high-population-density areas near transit hubs to increase connectivity for residents. To support community building, inclusion concierges—staff who create opportunities for residents to connect and guide them to existing community activities and services—will be part of two Kelsey projects: The Kelsey Ayer Station, an inclusive, mixed-income, transit-accessible housing community in San Jose, California, and The Kelsey Civic Center, an inclusive coliving community that is part of a project that aims to address the impacts of climate change through affordable housing in San Francisco.

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