Designing the Nuts and Bolts of Accessible Housing

Image Credit: ADA 

This past week, the Department of Justice and HUD released a joint statement summarizing the new accessibility guidelines for compliance with the Fair Housing Act. The Act's accessibility guidelines affect multifamily dwellings with four or more dwelling units that were constructed for first occupancy after March 13, 1991. See 42 U.S.C. §3604(f)(3). The Fair Housing Act guidelines, distinct from the similar Americans with Disabilities Act criteria, are aimed at providing easily accessible rental housing to Americans of all physical abilities and curbing ability-based housing discrimination. The current joint statement provides clarity for developers, designers, and managers of these dwellings and encourages compliance with the Act's disability provisions. At its core the HUD and DOJ guidelines articulate the seven requirements of (1) an accessible building entrance on an accessible route; (2) accessible and usable public common areas; (3) usable doors; (4) accesible into and through the covered dwelling unit; (5) light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other environmental controls in accessible locations; (6) reinforced walls for grab bars; and (7) usable kitchens and bathrooms. The core requirements, which apply differently to various buildings based upon features such as elevators and garages, focus on accessibility and usability of housing units and common areas and are supplemented by instructions relating to additions, alterations, and renovations of buildings covered by the Act. The statement offers a relatively succinct wealth of information about compliance with Fair Housing accessibility regulations and also provides more resources about the specific regulations concerning design and construction practices that are consistent with fair housing policies.