Reasonable Accommodations

It is a change, or exception, or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service may be necessary for a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, including public and common use spaces.

Reasonable Accommodations eliminate barriers preventing people with disabilities from fully participating in everyday aspects of life-including housing opportunities.

There must be a ‘nexus’ or connection between the person’s disability and the barrier to housing.

The decision to determine if a participant/applicant is disabled and the ‘nexus’ between disability and accommodation is placed on “knowledgeable professionals”.

Knowledgeable professional- a professional competent to render the opinion and knowledge about the person’s situation, i.e. Medical doctor.

• Allowing transfers to a first floor unit
• Allowing an HCV participant to rent from a relative
• Providing an extra bedroom for special medical equipment extending voucher search time
• Allowing service/assistance animals
• Physically altering a unit
• Re-assigning parking spaces
• Providing an extra bedroom for a live-in aide
• Visiting an applicant at home for an eligibility interview
• Allowing mitigating factors to be presented in a lease termination grievance
• Providing accessible transportation so a tenant may participate in a PHA-sponsored activity
• Requests for auxiliary aids such as visual alarms, tactile signs, visual doorbells, materials in large print or Braille, and/or recordings or such information
• Not prohibiting an eligible disabled family from accepting a non-accessible unit for which the family is eligible if a non-accessible unit becomes available before an accessible unit
• Exceptions to the established payment standards

1) Obtain a copy of the request for reasonable accommodation form

2) Obtain the reasonable accommodations guidelines.

3) Completely and clearly fill out the request for reasonable accommodations form and sign the reasonable accommodation guidelines.

4) Turn in both documents to the housing authority in person, mail, fax, assistance check, or email: rha@rosenbergha.org with ‘RA’ as the subject.

Please allow the housing authority 14 business days to respond to your request by mail.

According to 24 CFR 100.201 – The person must provide third-party documentation that s/he meets at least one of three qualifying definitions under the Fair Housing Act/ADA/Section 504 definition of handicap. The person must;

• Have a physical, mental or emotional impairment that substantially limits one or more of the person’s major life activities
• Have a record of such impairment
• Be regarded as having such an impairment

– OR –

According to 24 CFR 5.403– the person meets the Social Security Administration definition of a person with disabilities as defined in 42 U.S.C. 423

The person has a physical, mental, or emotional impairment that:

• Is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration
• Substantially impedes their ability to live independently
• Is of such a nature that the ability to live independently could be improved by more suitable housing conditions

– OR –

According to 42 U.S.C. 15041 et seq.—The person has a developmental disability as defined in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000: “A severe, chronic disability of an individual that:

• Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments
• Is manifested before the individual attains age 22
• Is likely to continue indefinitely
• Results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity…