Exaltist Ethan
Bridging the Gap Between Believers and Skeptics
I had an interesting discussion with someone who works at my apartment complex. I asked her a series of mostly random questions that I had on my mind at the time. She explained to me that they still don't know when the community room will be opened downstairs in the building I'm in. Then I asked about my rent and other things pertaining to the apartment. I learned that in total over 400 people live in this complex of twenty buildings.
Something that we talked about briefly was the websites they operate. My apartment complex has two websites, one for the unsubsidized apartments and one with subsidizes. The subsidized website in particular says that the complex is a senior community and you must be 62+ to live here. However, myself and several other tenants around me are not that age, but we have disabilities instead. As well, the website says cats allowed but says nothing about dogs, which I know are allowed too.
She told me that while they do accept people with disabilities, they legally cannot say that on their website due to privacy concerns for the residents of these buildings, and if they want to know if they can live in the subsidized section of the complex, all they need to do is call and ask the staff. She also made it clear that people who own dogs around here do so because they are a service animal, and mentioning that on the website is again, a violation of the tenants privacy and therefore they don't mention either on the website.
Doesn't this seem a little odd to you?
I've been on other apartment websites that say very plainly, "We accept disabled and seniors." And "small pets allowed." Clear as day on their website. There's no second guessing, no "will they take me" type of questions. I never had to talk to anyone on the other websites to get an answer if I could live there, the other websites and properties make it clear who they accept and who they don't. They could even be more vague and say, "Our subsidized locations accepts anyone who has social security income or is low-income" which is entirely true. As far as I know everybody who lives in the subsidized section here has social security.
There's another property owner called Metro who not only says they accept the disabled, but tells you what kind of disabilities they accept, including the blind, deaf and mobility impaired. I am not saying they need to be that specific, but if it's illegal for my apartment complex to explain that they offer apartments for the disabled, then every apartment complex in the area should have to comply to that rule too, correct? My apartment complex either doesn't know what the rules are, or the other complexes in the area don't.
I was on the borderline, almost going to move into a complex that clearly states they accept the disabled, when I got the call from this complex instead, telling me they approved my application and I could move in March 2016, almost seven years ago. If I had looked on the website instead of listening to my case worker I most likely would have NOT moved in here. It shouldn't be this confusing for those suffering with disabilities if this complex will accept them or not. I get it - one call, a simple question, and an answer can suffice, but for many disabled people who make assumptions, like I did when I first heard about this property, a simple explanation on the website can mean the difference between moving here and moving somewhere else.
TL;DR - I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this kind of thing for themselves. Have you ever lived at a property that did not advertise that they accept people in your circumstance? How did you figure out, then, that you were allowed to live there? Have you ever missed out on an opportunity because you thought you couldn't live somewhere but later found out you could? Do you think I'm correct by thinking that my complex should advertise on their website that they accept the disabled, just like several other properties around the area do?
Let us know what you think below.
Something that we talked about briefly was the websites they operate. My apartment complex has two websites, one for the unsubsidized apartments and one with subsidizes. The subsidized website in particular says that the complex is a senior community and you must be 62+ to live here. However, myself and several other tenants around me are not that age, but we have disabilities instead. As well, the website says cats allowed but says nothing about dogs, which I know are allowed too.
She told me that while they do accept people with disabilities, they legally cannot say that on their website due to privacy concerns for the residents of these buildings, and if they want to know if they can live in the subsidized section of the complex, all they need to do is call and ask the staff. She also made it clear that people who own dogs around here do so because they are a service animal, and mentioning that on the website is again, a violation of the tenants privacy and therefore they don't mention either on the website.
Doesn't this seem a little odd to you?
I've been on other apartment websites that say very plainly, "We accept disabled and seniors." And "small pets allowed." Clear as day on their website. There's no second guessing, no "will they take me" type of questions. I never had to talk to anyone on the other websites to get an answer if I could live there, the other websites and properties make it clear who they accept and who they don't. They could even be more vague and say, "Our subsidized locations accepts anyone who has social security income or is low-income" which is entirely true. As far as I know everybody who lives in the subsidized section here has social security.
There's another property owner called Metro who not only says they accept the disabled, but tells you what kind of disabilities they accept, including the blind, deaf and mobility impaired. I am not saying they need to be that specific, but if it's illegal for my apartment complex to explain that they offer apartments for the disabled, then every apartment complex in the area should have to comply to that rule too, correct? My apartment complex either doesn't know what the rules are, or the other complexes in the area don't.
I was on the borderline, almost going to move into a complex that clearly states they accept the disabled, when I got the call from this complex instead, telling me they approved my application and I could move in March 2016, almost seven years ago. If I had looked on the website instead of listening to my case worker I most likely would have NOT moved in here. It shouldn't be this confusing for those suffering with disabilities if this complex will accept them or not. I get it - one call, a simple question, and an answer can suffice, but for many disabled people who make assumptions, like I did when I first heard about this property, a simple explanation on the website can mean the difference between moving here and moving somewhere else.
TL;DR - I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this kind of thing for themselves. Have you ever lived at a property that did not advertise that they accept people in your circumstance? How did you figure out, then, that you were allowed to live there? Have you ever missed out on an opportunity because you thought you couldn't live somewhere but later found out you could? Do you think I'm correct by thinking that my complex should advertise on their website that they accept the disabled, just like several other properties around the area do?
Let us know what you think below.
