Asheville Habitat for Humanity Wins Award for Aging-in-Place Design
Habitat for Humanity in Asheville, N.C., was recently named the winner of the 2023 Best in Accessibility for its "Aging in Place" homes, which were judged in Habitat for Humanity International’s nationwide design contest. Asheville's New Heights Community will be home to 98 families of varying ages, but all of the homes have been outfitted for maximum accessibility, including ADA-compliant design features such as floors without raised thresholds, lever handles instead of doorknobs, and extra-large hallways and bathrooms, ABC 13 News reports.
Asheville Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Andy Barnett said he hopes this encourages others to branch out in their home building.
“I really hope that this award and the national spotlight on this helps other folks doing affordable housing to think that way," Barnett told News 13 Wednesday, May 24, "and really helps all the builders working in our region think about how they can build communities that work for lots of different kinds of people.”