The Fair Housing Act is about helping people feel welcome in their homes. When first passed in 1968, the act told home owners, real estate agents and builders that everyone deserved to be welcome in every neighborhood, regardless of race, color, religion or national origin. It expanded in 1974 to prohibit discrimination based on gender. And in a comprehensive set of changes in 1988, the act was amended to prohibit discrimination because of a person’s disability or family status (whether or not there are children in the family).
Since the structure itself is often the biggest barrier to people with physical disabilities, that part of the law has requirements that pertain to construction. Those apply to multifamily structures with four or more units — apartments, condominiums and co-ops — first occupied after March 13, 1991. Builders of these properties are required to have all units comply with the act’s requirements if there is an elevator in the building and, if there is no elevator, to have all first-floor units comply. There are seven basic requirements. There must be:
- At least one building entrance on an accessible route
- Accessible, usable public or common-use areas (lobbies, laundry rooms, etc.)
- Entry and interior doors wide enough for a wheelchair
- Accessible routes into and through each unit
- Light switches, thermostats, outlets and other controls in accessible locations
- Reinforcement in bathroom walls so that grab bars can be installed, if needed
- Kitchens and bathrooms that are usable for people in wheelchairs
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and NAHB signed a memorandum last year, on the 34th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, that promises greater efforts in educating builders — as well as the public — about the construction requirements of the Act. To that end, HUD has commissioned a curriculum called Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST, which teaches builders and others about the act through workshops and seminars. NAHB is encouraging its members to get this training, and is including sessions concurrently with many of its own educational events.
The Fair Housing educational events are presented free of charge to groups of builders, engineers, designers and other industry professionals, as well as to people with disabilities, those who work with the disabled and those who advocate on their behalf. The training schedule is posted online at www.fairhousingfirst.org, and there also are links from the HUD Web site’s Fair Housing area.
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