1. (a) To show that a requested Reasonable Accommodation may be necessary, there must be an identifiable relationship between the requested accommodation and the individual's Disability.

2. (b) Responses to Reasonable Accommodation requests must be provided within a reasonable amount of time, not to exceed 14 calendar days. The response must either be to grant the request, deny the request, offer alternatives to the request, or request additional information to clarify the Reasonable Accommodation request. Should additional information be required and an interactive process is necessary, this process must also be completed within a reasonable amount of time. An undue delay in responding to a reasonable accommodation request may be a failure to provide a reasonable accommodation.

   1. (1) EXAMPLE: A resident requests to move their rent due date to coincide with their social security disability check. It would not be considered reasonable to wait 14 calendar days to respond to this request.
   2. (2) EXAMPLE: A resident requests a designated accessible parking space. An individual's Disability status and the connection to the Reasonable Accommodation request are not clear. Documentation must be requested within 14 calendar days to clarify the resident's request, engaging in an interactive process to determine the nature of the request and the needs of the resident.
   3. (3) EXAMPLE: An applicant with a Disability requires a service animal to alert of impending seizures. The shelter has a no pets policy. It would not be reasonable to wait 14 calendar days to respond to this request.
   4. (4) EXAMPLE: A person with a Disability requests modifying door knobs to levers. The property must respond to the request within 14 calendar days, although it is reasonable that it may take additional time to install the modified door knobs.
   5. (5) EXAMPLE: A housing provider requires that tenants sign 12 month leases. A household signs the lease, but after a few months has to move out in order to live in a nursing home. The household requests a reasonable accommodation to be let out of his lease early without a fee. The property may request additional information if the Disability and relationship between the request is not clear, but must ask for this information within 14 calendar days.
   6. (6) EXAMPLE: An applicant requests a reasonable accommodation to have assistance in filling out a program application for the Housing Trust Fund Program. It would not be reasonable to wait 14 calendar days to respond to this request.
3. (c) When a resident or applicant requires an accessible unit, feature, space or element, or a policy modification, or other Reasonable Accommodation to accommodate a Disability, the Recipient must provide and pay for the requested accommodation, unless doing so would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the program or an undue financial and administrative burden. A fundamental alteration is an accommodation that is so significant that it alters the essential nature of the Recipient's operations. A Recipient that owns a LIHTC or Multifamily Bond Development with no federal or state funds awarded before September 1, 2001 must allow but may not need to pay for the Reasonable Accommodation, except if the accommodation requested should have been made as part of the original design and construction requirements under the Fair Housing Act, or is a Reasonable Accommodation identified by the U.S. Department of Justice with a de minimis cost (e.g., assigned parking spot, no deposit for service/assistance animals, etc).
4. (d) A Recipient may not charge a fee or place conditions on a resident or applicant in exchange for making the accommodation. For example, while housing providers may require applicants or residents to pay a pet deposit they may not require applicants and residents to pay a deposit for a service/assistance animal.

5. (e) A Reasonable Accommodation request of an individual with a Disability that amounts to an Alteration should be made to meet the needs of the individual with a Disability, rather than any particular accessible code specification.

   1. (1) Recipients are not required to make structural changes where other methods, which may not cost as much, are effective in making programs or activities readily accessible to and usable by persons with Disabilities.
   2. (2) In choosing among available methods for meeting the requirements of this section, the Recipient shall give priority to those methods that offer programs and activities to qualified individuals with Disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate.

   3. (3) Undue burden.

      1. (A) The determination of undue financial and administrative burden will be made by the Department on a case-by-case basis, involving various factors, such as the cost of the reasonable accommodation, the financial resources of the Development, the benefits the accommodation would provide to the requester, and the availability of alternative accommodations that would adequately meet the requester's Disability-related needs.

      2. (B) In considering whether an expense would constitute an undue burden the Department may, as applicable, consider the following items (though it may consider factors not on this list):

         1. (i) Payment for Alteration from operating funds, residual receipts accounts, or reserve replacement accounts must be sought using appropriate approval procedures.
         2. (ii) The approved amount must normally be able to be replenished through property rental income within one year without a corresponding raise in rental rates.
         3. (iii) A projected inability to replenish an operating fund account or the reserve for replacement account within one year for funds spent in providing alterations under this subchapter is some evidence that the Alteration would be an undue financial and administrative burden. (Source: HUD Handbook 4350.3, §2-43(C), and §2-43(D, Example A))
      3. (C) If providing accessibility would result in an undue financial and administrative burden, the Recipient must still take other reasonable steps to achieve accessibility.
      4. (D) If a structural change would constitute an undue financial and administrative burden, and the tenant/requestor still wants that particular change to be made, the tenant/requestor must be allowed to make and pay for the accommodation.
   4. (4) Recipients are not required to install an elevator solely for the purpose of making units accessible as a reasonable accommodation. (Source: HUD Handbook 4350.3, §2-37(E))
   5. (5) Recipients do not have to make mechanical rooms and similar spaces accessible when, because of their intended use, they do not require accessibility by the public, by tenants, or by employees with physical disabilities. (Source: HUD Handbook 4350.3, §2-37(D))
   6. (6) Recipients are not required to make building alterations that have little likelihood of being accomplished without removing or altering a load-bearing structural member, as a reasonable accommodation. (Source: 24 CFR §8.32(c). HUD Handbook 4350.3, §2-37(B))

6. (f) If a Recipient refuses to provide a requested accommodation because it is either an undue financial and administrative burden or would result in a fundamental alteration to the nature of the program, the Recipient must make a reasonable attempt to engage in an interactive dialogue with the requester to determine if there is an alternative accommodation that would adequately address the requester's Disability-related needs. If an alternative accommodation would meet the individual's needs and is reasonable, the Recipient must provide it.

   1. (1) EXAMPLE: A resident requires an accessible parking space that will accommodate her wheelchair-equipped van. A Reasonable Accommodation includes relocating and enlarging an existing parking space that will serve the van.
   2. (2) EXAMPLE: A Colonia Self-Help Center provides computer lab classes with laptops at the Center for eligible Colonia residents to learn computer skills. A participant with a Disability is unable to leave their home to participate in the class due to their Disability. The participant requests a reasonable accommodation to borrow a laptop computer to participate in the class from home. Providing a loan of the laptop computer with the training software is a reasonable accommodation because it allows the prospective participant with a disability to fully participate in the Colonia Self-Help Center program. However, it would be fundamental alteration to renovate the participant's home for broadband (unless the home is being rehabilitated for other reasons).
   3. (3) EXAMPLE: A family has a young child with asthma. A certain sealant used by a weatherization provider has been known to trigger asthma attacks. The weatherization provider should see if a comparable sealant could be used that would not trigger asthma.
   4. (4) EXAMPLE: A Development has five parking spaces located outside the main entrance to the building and another parking lot with 20 spaces a half block away. All five of the parking spaces near the entrance to the building have been assigned to residents with Disabilities who need a parking space near their door because of their Disabilities. A sixth tenant with difficulty in walking long distances moves into the Development and requests a parking space near his door. The Recipient has explored the options and concluded that the only way to provide more parking spaces near the door would be to widen the parking area by purchasing valuable real estate next door. It would be an undue financial and administrative burden for the Recipient to provide the sixth tenant with a parking space near the entrance. An alternative accommodation could be to provide the sixth tenant with an assigned parking space in the lot half block away until such time as one of the five spaces near the door becomes available.
   5. (5) EXAMPLE: A resident needs grab bars at the toilet in her bathroom. She does not require other accessible features. The Recipient must install grab bars consistent with the resident's needs in the bathroom.
   6. (6) EXAMPLE: A resident needs a ramped entrance to her ground floor unit to accommodate her wheelchair. She does not wish to move to an accessible unit. The Recipient must provide an accessible entrance at the resident's current unit, unless it would be an undue financial and administrative hardship or a fundamental alteration of the program to do so.
   7. (7) EXAMPLE: A resident uses a scooter type wheelchair which is 38 inches in width. She requests a ramp to enter her ground floor unit. The ramp which she requests must be at least 40 inches wide, it must have a slope of no more than 3%, and the landing at the front door, which opens outward, must be enlarged to provide adequate maneuvering space to enter the doorway. The changes must be provided, even though they may exceed the usual specifications for such alterations, unless it would be an undue financial and administrative hardship or a fundamental alteration of the program to do so.
   8. (8) EXAMPLE: A resident with quadriplegia requests replacement of a bathtub in his unit with a roll-in shower. Due to the location of existing plumbing in the building and the size of the existing bathroom, a plumber confirms that installation of a roll-in shower in that unit is impossible. The on-site manager should meet with the resident to explain why the roll-in shower cannot be installed and to explore alternative accommodations with the resident.
7. (g) Recipients must follow federal and state regulations regarding service/assistance animals.

Source Note:The provisions of this §1.204 adopted to be effective February 16, 2014, 39 TexReg 623; amended to be effective January 2, 2017, 41 TexReg 10565.