Finding Housing and Non-Accessible Housing

Not everyone needs accessible housing. Here is how to find accessible housing and non-accessible housing.

• Housing Navigator MA is the official online listing and search tool for accessible and affordable rental homes in Massachusetts.
• MyMassHome is the official online listing and search tool for accessible and affordable homeownership opportunities in Massachusetts. Figure out your next step to becoming a homeowner.

Q:  I thought Housing Navigator MA  and MyMassHome only helped people with physical disabilities?

A:  Housing Navigator MA  and MyMassHome  can assist people with hidden or non-physical disabilities as well as people with physical disabilities.

For persons with physical disabilities, Housing Navigator MA  can provide:

• lists of currently available units which have accessible or adaptable design features. Some units are on the ground floor or on an elevator floor.
• lists of accessible and adaptable units in the community you prefer
• information about accessible design features. Does the bathroom have a roll-in shower? Are there grab bars in the bathroom?

Ways that Housing Navigator MA  can provide assistance for both people with physical or other disabilities:

• lists of affordable housing in any Massachusetts city or town for which you are eligible. Info includes phone numbers and up-to-date contact people
• lists of Housing Authorities which administer the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP). AHVP is for people with disabilities (PwD)
• information about the development and neighborhood.  The availability of public transportation and how far it is to the supermarket or other services is here. You can decide if the area makes sense for you before you fill out an application
• information about the non-accessible and accessible housing available at any development or housing authority. You can target your housing search. For example, you can tell if there are any three bedroom units at the development. You won’t waste your time filling out a wrong application.

In addition to the info directly available from the database, your Independent Living Center (ILC) can help anyone with any disability to:

• pick where to apply for housing
• fill out housing applications
• advocate with the housing manager

The ILC can also assist people with other aspects of housing search and independent living in the community.

Housing Navigator MA  and MyMassHome are available at all of the ILCs.

Find your local Independent Living Center

If you believe you have been discriminated against in your housing search, you may receive help from the following agencies:

Boston Regional Office of HUD
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr.
Federal Building
10 Causeway Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02222-1092
Phone: 617-994-8200
Toll Free: 800-827-5005 or
TTY: 617-565-5453                                                                                                                                                           Email: ma_webmanager@hud.gov

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Offices

• Boston Office
  One Ashburton Place
  6th Floor, Room 601
  Boston, MA 02108
  Phone: 617-994-6000 or 617-994-6196 (TTY)
• Springfield Office
  436 Dwight Street
  Second Floor, Room 220
  Springfield, MA 01103
  Phone: 413-739-2145
• Worcester Office
  484 Main St, Room 320
  Worcester, MA 01608
  Phone: 508-453-9630

Fact Sheet last updated on: 9/12/2025

Disclaimer: INDEX is pleased to provide you this information. Please note,  this information is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to take the place of professional advice. We encourage you to check other resources of such information. No endorsement by the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, DisabilityInfo.org,  INDEX, or affiliates, should be inferred. We reserve the right to remove, to modify, or to add any information at any time, for any reason, and without notice.