The Fair Housing Act is a US federal law that applies to most multifamily dwelling units built since March of 1991. The Act requires all covered multifamily units – including apartments, condominiums, assisted living units, time-share/vacation units, public housing, dormitory rooms, and hospice facilities – to be accessible and usable by people with disabilities.
This includes:
- All dwelling units in multi-story buildings with 4 or more units and an elevator
- Ground-floor units in buildings with 4 or more dwelling units, without an elevator
There are 7 basic access requirements of the Fair Housing Act:
- 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.
To learn more about the Fair Housing Act:
- Refer to this Decoded article to review the door-related requirements of the Act.
- For frequently asked questions, visit the website of FairHousingFirst.org.
- Download the Fair Housing Act Design Manual for additional information.
After reviewing these materials, proceed to the review questions below.
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Review Questions
1. The Fair Housing Act would apply to which of the following multi-family buildings, built in 2000?
- Graduate student housing with 6 dwelling units per pod
- High-rise condominiums sold to individual owners
- An assisted living facility with 12 dwelling units at ground level
- All of the above
2. To comply with the Fair Housing Act, which of the following codes and standards may be used?
- International Building Code
- ADA Standards for Accessible Design
- ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
- All of the above
3. Accessible doors are NOT required by the Fair Housing Act to meet which of the following requirements?
- Hardware that is operable without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist
- Minimum 32-inch clear opening width
- Closers with the delayed action feature
- Maneuvering clearance that is compliant with the applicable code or standard
Answers: 1 – D, 2 – D, 3 – C