Fair Housing Month: A Quick Refresher on Reasonable Accommodations & Modifications

April is Fair Housing Month, making it the perfect time to refresh our understanding of reasonable accommodations and modifications. These requests play a crucial role in ensuring individuals with disabilities have equal access to housing, and it’s important that we recognize and respond to them appropriately.

Understanding Reasonable Accommodations & Modifications

A reasonable accommodation is a change in rules, policies, or services that enables a person with a disability to fully use and enjoy their home. Examples include:

• Allowing an assistance animal, even in a pet-free community (submitted and processed through PetScreening)
• Approving a live-in aide
• Reserving a parking space closer to the resident’s home
• Granting a unit transfer to a more accessible apartment

A reasonable modification, on the other hand, involves physical changes to the dwelling to improve accessibility. Examples include:

• Installing an accessible ramp
• Adding grab bars in the bathroom
• Modifying a tub into a walk-in shower
• Removing carpet for easier mobility

How to Identify a Request

Residents may not use legal or industry-specific terms when making a request. They might simply express a need, such as difficulty walking long distances or needing an easier way to enter their home. This is where active listening becomes essential.

For example, if a resident shares, “I have arthritis, and it’s hard for me to walk from my parking spot,” they may not explicitly request a reasonable accommodation—but this could indicate a need for one.

The Right Response

When a resident makes a request related to a disability, staff should ask:
“Are you making this request based on a disability?”

This helps clarify the situation and determine the appropriate next steps.

Do not ask what the disability is. If the resident confirms their request is disability-related, staff can provide the reasonable accommodation request form and guide them through the process.

PetScreening & Assistance Animal Requests

As part of our continued commitment to fair and consistent processes, all properties now utilize PetScreening for animal registration. This includes assistance animals, such as emotional support animals and service animals.

PetScreening helps streamline the review process by securely collecting the necessary documentation and ensuring requests are evaluated promptly and consistently. By using this system, we’re able to process assistance animal requests more efficiently while maintaining compliance with Fair Housing guidelines.

Maintaining Good Communication

Open and clear communication is key throughout this process. Staff should ensure residents feel heard, understand the steps involved, and receive timely updates. By handling requests with professionalism and empathy, we uphold the principles of Fair Housing and create inclusive communities for all.

For further education, take a moment to watch this training video: Reasonable Accommodation / Modification: Active Listening. Read the whole article HERE.

Let’s continue fostering fair and accessible housing for everyone!