The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved voluntary compliance/conciliation agreements with housing providers in California, Idaho and Hawaii that were accused of denying reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.
“Denying persons with disabilities the accommodations they need or failing to build accessible housing violates the law,” Anna María Farías, HUD’s assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, said in a news release. “Hopefully, the settlements we’re announcing today will help housing providers recognize their obligation to comply with the nation’s fair housing laws and make a commitment to meeting that obligation.”
The four settlements stated:
In addition, the property owners agreed to provide the tenant with a neutral reference when a prospective housing provider asks to verify her rental history, and display a fair housing poster at all locations where dwelling units are offered for sale or rent.
Under the agreement, Property West Residential Management Co. will pay the woman $6,500. In addition, leasing and management staff at Summit at Alpine Apartment Homes Limited Partnership and Property West Residential Management Company will undergo a minimum of three hours of fair housing training within 90 days.
The tenant claimed the owners initially denied her request, but later agreed to grant it, imposing numerous terms and conditions that violated the Fair Housing Act. Under the agreement, the owners will pay the woman $6,000 and revise their rental procedures to be consistent with the Fair Housing Act.
“The policy must explicitly acknowledge and advise employees, tenants and prospective tenants that an emotional support or companion animal may qualify as a reasonable accommodation under the Act,” the agreement states. “The policy shall acknowledge that medical verification may be necessary if the disability and/or need for the accommodation or modification is not obvious and apparent.”
The compliance review revealed that HPHA did not have an adequate percentage of accessible units in Honolulu available for residents with disabilities. HPHA will now contract with an expert accessibility consultant to ensure that it meets its accessibility mandates, including conducting assessments of residents’ accommodation needs.
According to the three-year agreement, the department’s investigation also revealed deficiencies related to non-compliance in common areas and access ramps at the complexes surveyed by HUD in 2016 following a complaint.
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