FULL PACKET_2016-03-15 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Administrative Plan 4/1/16 Page 2-6 person with disabilities to obtain a suitable housing unit • Providing time extensions for locating a unit when necessary because of lack of availability of accessible units or special challenges of the family in seeking a unit • Permitting an authorized designee or advocate to participate in the application or certification process and any other meetings with SAHA staff 2-II.C. REQUEST FOR AN ACCOMMODATION If an applicant or participant indicates that an exception, change, or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service is needed because of a disability, HUD requires that SAHA treat the information as a request for a reasonable accommodation, even if no formal request is made [Joint Statement of the Departments of HUD and Justice: Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act]. The family must explain what type of accommodation is needed to provide the person with the disability full access to SAHA’s programs and services. If the need for the accommodation is not readily apparent or known to SAHA, the family must explain the relationship between the requested accommodation and the disability. There must be an identifiable connection, or nexus, between the requested accommodation and the individual’s disability. SAHA Policy SAHA will encourage the family to make its request in writing using a standard Reasonable Accommodation Request Form. However, SAHA will consider the accommodation any time the family indicates that an accommodation is needed whether or not a formal written request is submitted. 2-II.D. VERIFICATION OF DISABILITY The regulatory civil rights definition for persons with disabilities is provided in Exhibit 2-1 at the end of this chapter. The definition of a person with a disability for the purpose of obtaining a reasonable accommodation is much broader than the HUD definition of disability which is used for waiting list preferences and income allowances. Before providing an accommodation, SAHA must determine that the person meets the definition of a person with a disability, and that the accommodation will enhance the family’s access to SAHA’s programs and services. If a person’s disability is obvious or otherwise known to SAHA, and if the need for the requested accommodation is also readily apparent or known, no further verification will be required [Joint Statement of the Departments of HUD and Justice: Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act]. 3-62