Unusable kitchens and inaccessible entrances: Housing complaint zeroes in on Middle TN apartment complexes

Two fair housing nonprofits have filed a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, claiming that 13 multi-family residential properties — seven in Middle Tennessee — are in violation of accessibility requirements. 

The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFTHA) and Tennessee Fair Housing Council (TFHC) are alleging that Gross Residential, an Ohio-based corporation that develops, constructs and manages rental properties, has a pattern of noncompliance with the Fair Housing Act’s accessibility standards. These requirements ensure that people with disabilities can safely use the basic features of their homes.  

In a statement to WPLN News, a company spokesperson from Gross Residential disputed the claim.

“We take pride in our efforts to comply with all legal requirements for accessibility in our new construction. With regard to the communities mentioned in the HUD complaint, we believe we have in fact complied with the Fair Housing Act’s mandate for ‘accessible and usable’ new multifamily housing, and dispute the complaint’s characterization of any of our apartment home styles as not in compliance.”

The company said they planned to demonstrate compliance and would continue overseeing multifamily housing, including for residents with disabilities.

The thirteen properties span Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Tennessee properties include:  

• Revere at Hidden Creek in Gallatin  
• Revere at Spring Hill in Spring Hill
• Revere at Barton’s Run in Lebanon
• Belden Reserve in Murfreesboro
• Hamilton Station in Lebanon
• Hathaway at Lebanon in Lebanon
• Worthington Glen in Spring Hill

The alleged violations, which emerged out of a months-long, multi-state investigation, center on claims that the properties’ designs have rendered kitchens, toilets, light switches, mailboxes, common use areas, entrances and parking spaces inaccessible. 

Courtesy Fair Housing Act Design Manual

The Fair Housing Act Design Manual lays out clear accessibility requirements for U-shaped kitchens, like those in many of Gross Residential’s properties.

The bulk of the Tennessee properties are implicated with regards to their kitchen construction. Under the Fair Housing Act, kitchens need to be built in a way that “an individual in a wheelchair can maneuver the space.” This means a clear floor space of at least 30 by 48 inches that can allow for a parallel approach by a wheelchair user to a kitchen appliance. The act also requires that U-shaped kitchens (which have a sink at the base) possess a 60 inch diameter circle for turning.

Many of the Gross Residential properties follow similar floor plans. NFHA and TFHC allege that the two and three-bedroom Gross Residential properties built in their “Craftsman Select” style floorplan do not have accessible kitchens. This includes all of the Tennessee-based properties.  

“It is unacceptable that seven newly constructed apartment communities in Middle Tennessee do not comply with the Fair Housing Act’s accessibility requirements,” TFHC’s Executive Director Martie Lafferty said in a statement. “These are minimum requirements which ensure that people with disabilities can use basic features of their housing such as their kitchen and bathroom.” 

Update: This story has been updated to include comment from Gross Residential, provided to WPLN News on March 22.