Question 2 About the Fair Housing Act - 7 Requirements

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The following question and answer are provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Where can I find the accessibility standards for dwelling units required to be accessible under the Fair Housing Act's design and construction requirements?

The Fair Housing Act requires seven basic requirements that must be met to comply with the access requirements of the Act. Those Requirements are:

Requirement 1. An accessible building entrance on an accessible route.
Requirement 2. Accessible common and public use areas.
Requirement 3. Usable doors (usable by a person in a wheelchair).
Requirement 4. Accessible route into and through the dwelling unit.
Requirement 5. Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other environmental controls in accessible locations.
Requirement 6. Reinforced walls in bathrooms for later installation of grab bars.
Requirement 7. Usable kitchens and bathrooms.

These requirements are stated in the Fair Housing Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(C). To describe these requirements in more detail, HUD published Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines (the Guidelines) on March 6, 1991, and supplemented those Guidelines with a Supplemental Notice: Questions and Answers About the Guidelines published on June 28, 1994. The Guidelines are one of 15 safe harbors for compliance that HUD has identified.

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If you have questions about an apartment or condominium building with respect to ADA and FHA compliance, please contact Richard Acree at 615-752-0060, or inspections4ada@gmail.com , at ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC (ADAIN). ADAIN provides multi-family building and facility inspections for compliance with the ADA and FHA.