Who Can Verify Reasonable Accommodations

Who Can Verify Reasonable Accommodations

Disability protections are among the most complex and confusing components of all fair housing laws.  It is also consistently the most frequently cited as violated nationwide, year over year.  

A key to understanding reasonable accommodations and modifications is the verification process and, importantly, who can do the verifying.

In this session, we’ll quickly review the basics of the Fair Housing Act (FHA).  We’ll review reasonable accommodations and modifications; including the use of disability-related aid animals as a prevalent example of an accommodation.  This will include important distinctions between service and assistance animals, along with other, ubiquitous terms such as emotional support animals.

As we go, we’ll look at guidance from the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on who can verify various requests; including HUD’s latest and long-anticipated guidance on aid animals released in Jan. 2020.

This webinar will also discuss state legislation and jurisdictions’ attempts to provide clarity prior to HUD’s most recent guidance as it relates specifically to issues of verification.  There are potential legal landmines for housing providers here that you must be aware of!

Webinar Objectives

• Recognize basic principals of fair housing law generally, and disability protections more specifically
• Distinguish Reasonable Accommodations from Modification, and appreciate the Verification Process Used for Either
• Realize the Breadth of Possible Verifiers
• Recognize that Animal RAs Are Different, and Familiarize Self with Latest Guidance and Resources

Webinar Agenda

• Brief review of the Fair Housing Act (FHA)
• Discussion of FHA’s Disability Protections
• Explanation of the Reasonable Accommodation / Modification (RA / RM) Process
• Delve into Who Can Verify RAs & RM
• Particulars of Animal Accommodations & HUD’s Latest Guidance
• Q&A

Webinar Highlights

• Examination of who can serve to verify a qualifying disability and the need for accommodation, including states' attempts to curb the proliferation of online verification
• How these state laws relate to the federal FHA TO Examination of who can serve to verify a qualifying disability and the need for accommodation An important and relevant reminder re: states and local legislation vs. the federal FHA.

Who Should Attend

• Leasing and on-site managers
• Portfolio managers
• Compliance officers
• Resident services coordinators (in affordable housing communities)
• Community concierges (in high-end housing communities)
• Independent landlords or small, “Mom and Pop” operators
• Service technicians, lead technicians, maintenance supervisors
• Homeowners association and community managers