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Section 1: Importance of Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications
As of 2020, approximately 62 million people in the United States live with a disability. While the disabilities vary widely in nature and severity, for many people with disabilities it is extremely difficult to find and secure housing that is accessible to them and/or otherwise meets their needs.
A reasonable accommodation is a change, exception, or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service. A reasonable modification is a structural change made to the premises. The purpose of a reasonable accommodation or modification is to provide equal access to housing for people with disabilities.
Reasonable accommodations and modifications provide increased housing options that are near transportation, jobs, and other fundamentals to economic progress by making inaccessible units or buildings accessible to people with disabilities.
Accommodations and modifications also increase the marketability of a property by appealing to a broader customer base.
This Guidebook discusses the disability laws and the processes involved in meeting requests for reasonable accommodations and modifications in residential properties
This Guidebook
The word “resident” or “residents” includes any person residing or seeking to reside (i.e. an applicant) in apartment buildings, condominium buildings, shelters, and other types of housing.