Home
>
Political
>
Accessibility Requirements for Fair Housing

Accessibility Requirements for Fair Housing

Policy

Federal Fair Housing accessibility requirements for new multifamily buildings should be written in building code language certified as Fair Housing compliant by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD should be vigilant in compliance education and assistance as is NAHB. Use of Fair Housing Initiatives Program funding for enforcement actions should be curtailed. Any enforcement actions should be reasonable and reflect the lack of clear guidance available for complying with the Act.

Background

The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 requires new multifamily buildings constructed for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 and consisting of four or more units to be accessible to disabled persons. HUD issued accessibility guidelines on March 6, 1991 and a supplementary design manual in August 1996 to provide guidance on complying with the law. But HUD's guidelines were poorly promulgated and not written in building code language, making it impractical for builders and local officials to define compliance, which has led to conflicting interpretations and inadvertent failures to meet certain requirements.

In response, building code language was cooperatively developed by NAHB, HUD, the International Code Council, and disability advocates and completed in May 2000. HUD has certified that the building code language satisfies the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act and NAHB is promoting state and local adoption of the compliant code language. Federal promulgation of the requirements must still be intensified, however, if compliance is to be improved.

Addressing noncompliance of existing covered buildings (constructed for occupancy after March 13, 1991) remains contentious. Federally funded private advocacy groups and state and local housing agencies, HUD, and the Department of Justice are all actively involved in current enforcement actions and will continue to be. These actions are often threatening, based on questionably broad interpretations of federal requirements, fail to reflect the lack of compliance assistance at the time of construction, and divert resources that could otherwise be applied to more proactive solutions.

Solutions

Urge HUD to maintain compliance education as a priority and to actively participate in the building code amendment process to help ensure building code requirements are compliant with Fair Housing accessibility requirements. Further, urge HUD's timely review of compliant building codes and approval of them as a safe harbor for compliance with Fair Housing accessibility requirements and to develop a more reasonable approach to addressing non-compliance.

Continue to support and actively participate in ongoing education and training efforts to inform builders about accessibility requirements under the Fair Housing Act.

Maintain NAHB's Fair Housing Accessibility Education Accord with HUD as a demonstration of NAHB's commitment to improving compliance through education and continue participation in HUD funded compliance initiatives. Support the nationwide adoption of model accessibility building codes endorsed by HUD as providing a safe harbor for complying with the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act.

Work with other interested groups, including building product manufacturers, disability advocates, real estate, and multifamily design and construction groups to promote education, outreach, and compliance with the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act.

Urge HUD to prohibit the use of Fair Housing Initiatives Program funding for litigation.

Work with the Department of Justice to develop clear criteria for enforcing the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act.

Support legislative or regulatory changes that would limit liability for industry members who were involved in the design and construction of non-compliant buildings due to a lack of clear guidance, and who made a good faith effort to meet the requirements of the law.

Neda Dabestani-Ryba is a licensed Realtor in Maryland. She is a member of the President's Circle of Top Real Estate Professionals. She can be reached at (800) 536-3806 or visit her website for more information: http://neda.dabestani.pcragent.com

Prudential Carruthers REALTORS is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

weekly home cleaning Highland Park ..

In The News:

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Accessibility Requirements for Fair Housing

Political