Development: Fair Housing Act Compliance in Laymen’s Terms

Joshua Rucker

Intentional communities want to welcome diverse residents including people with disabilities and older people. Accessibility is a factor. Legal requirements for accessibility are a baseline for thinking through both design and policy. This session gives an overview of the several statutes that have been enacted to help ensure nondiscrimination against people with disabilities both in design and program policies. They include: the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The most pertinent law (FHA) includes seven basic design and construction accessibility requirements. This session offers guidelines to help professionals and the general public satisfy the federal requirements and better serve those with disabilities.

Josh Rucker directs the national Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST Design and Construction Resource Center which provides free technical assistance on the design and construction requirements under the Fair Housing Act as Amended in 1988 to developers, builders, design professionals, housing authorities, fair housing organizations, advocates, service providers and consumers. Rucker graduated from Clark University and previously worked in homeless services and affordable housing.

Presentation file: Fair Housing in Laymen's Terms