Non-Elevator buildings in publicaly funded public housing

[Noel]

In California, 11B-206.2.3, allows for privately funded multistory residential buildings, with stories less than 3,000 SF, to not have an elevator. Most affordable housing projects in CA are publicly funded, therefore, my conclusion is that most affordable housing projects of this type would require an elevator. I am not finding a way to not have an elevator in these types of projects since dispersion requires mobility units on each floor of a multi-level building. We use to design smaller, 3-story, 9 to 12 unit buildings without elevator but this CA amendment to the code seems to make it impossible. Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[Access Specialist]

I have not done any public housing in CA so take my response with a grain of salt but does 11B-206.2.3 Exception 4 help at all?

In residential facilities, an accessible route shall not be required to connect stories where residential dwelling units with mobility features required to comply with Sections 11B-809.2 through 11B-809.4, residential dwelling units with adaptable features complying with Sections 11B-809.6 through 11B-809.12, all common use areas serving residential dwelling units with mobility features required to comply with Sections 11B-809.2 through 11B-809.4, all common use areas serving residential dwelling units with adaptable features complying with Sections 11B-809.6 through 11B-809.12, and public use areas serving residential dwelling units are on an accessible route.

Also, you mention that different floors is part of dispersion. While I believe that dispersing units among different floors and views is best practice, this also seems vague and can be argued for or against. To me, the only clear required dispersion is among the various unit types: studio, 1-bed, 2-bed, etc.

11B-233.3.5 Dispersion

Residential dwelling units required to provide mobility features complying with Sections 11B-809.2 through 11B-809.4 and residential dwelling units required to provide communication features complying with Section 11B-809.5 shall be dispersed among the various types of residential dwelling units in the facility and shall provide choices of residential dwelling units comparable to, and integrated with, those available to other residents.

Exception: Where multistory residential dwelling units are one of the types of residential dwelling units provided, one-story residential dwelling units shall be permitted as a substitute for multistory residential dwelling units where equivalent spaces and amenities are provided in the one-story residential dwelling unit.

 

[Yikes]

There is nothing in the California Building Code that compels public housing (formerly called publicly-funded housing) to provide elevator access.
CBC 11B-233.1 only requires 5% of the total number of dwelling units, including at least one of each type of unit (one-bedroom/one-bath, two-bedroom/one-bath, two-bedroom/two-bath, etc.), to be on an accessible route.
Access Specialist in post #2 has it exactly right: use 11B-206.2.3 exception #4.

I have built many public multifamily housing projects that are 3 story slab-on-grade buildings with no elevator; on every story, all of the units are "flats". The ground floor has an accessible path of travel and contains all of the 5% required 11B mobility accessible units (incl. on of each type), and all the remaining units on the ground floor are adaptable. These 11B mobility units on the ground floor are typically "dispersed" horizontally (not all bunched together in one wing, if possible).
The flats on levels 2 and 3 are only reached via common stairs to the upper level corridors. The units in these upper floors are not required to be mobility accessible or mobility adaptable, because there is no elevator. The CASps we work with typically will spread a few of the 11B sensory/communication units in the upper floors.
What I have described above has been accepted by every plan checker and every CASp that I've worked with.

So, the CBC does not compel an elevator. That said, there may be funding agencies that have their own requirements to provide elevators as a condition of accepting their money. For instance I think TCAC requires elevators for all their multistory senior projects, and they require 50% of senior's dwelling unit to be mobility accessible.

Also, please note that the accessible public housing units must have a path-of-travel to all onsite amenities, so on a non-elevator building you don't put the only laundry room on the second floor, and you don't the only parking in a subterranean garage, unless you plan on building a LOT of ramps. Every feature typically has to occur at ground level.