7001.1 DCHA will use HUD’s Division of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) published Notices as guidance in its assistance animals policy.

7001.2 There are two (2) types of assistance animals:

(a) Service animals; and

(b) Support animals, which are other animals that do work, perform tasks, provide assistance, or provide therapeutic emotional support for individuals with disabilities.

7001.3 Assistance animals, including service and support animals, are not pets and thus are not subject to DCHA’s pet policies described in §§ 7002-7003.

7001.4 Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a “service animal” means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition.

7001.5 The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability.

7001.6 [RESERVED]

7001.7 A service animal must be permitted in all areas of the facility where members of the public are allowed.

7001.8 If the animal does not qualify as a service animal, DCHA will next determine whether the animal would qualify as a support animal (a type of assistance animal).

7001.9 If the individual is requesting to keep a unique animal not commonly kept in households, then the requestor has the substantial burden of demonstrating a disability-related therapeutic need for the specific animal or the specific type of animal. Such individuals are encouraged to submit documentation from a health care professional.

7001.10 A person with a disability is not automatically entitled to have an assistance animal. Reasonable accommodation requires that there is a relationship between the person’s disability and their need for the animal.

7001.11 [RESERVED]

7001.12 [RESERVED]

7001.13 [RESERVED]

7001.14 DCHA may refuse a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal if the specific animal poses a direct threat that cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level through the actions the individual takes to maintain or control the animal (e.g., keeping the animal in a security enclosure).

7001.15 DCHA will use the decision-making process in Notice FHEO 2020-01 or subsequent applicable notice with respect to the reasonable accommodation policies in Chapter 61 for all requests for exceptions or modifications to DCHA's rules, policies, practices, and procedures so that persons with disabilities may have assistance animals in the housing where they reside.

7001.16 For an animal to be excluded from the pet policy and be considered a service animal, it must be a trained dog, and there must be a person with disabilities in the household who requires the dog's services.

7001.17 For an animal to be excluded from the pet policy and be considered a support animal, there must be:

(a) a person with disabilities in the household;

(b) a disability-related need for the animal; and

(c) the family must request and DCHA approve a reasonable accommodation in accordance with the criteria outlined in Notice FHEO 2020-01 (or subsequent applicable notice) and the policies contained in Chapter 61.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 73 DCR 007351 (May 15, 2026).