Reasonable Accommodations

A reasonable accommodation is a change Home Forward makes to a rule, policy, practice, or service to give a person with a disability equal access, opportunity, or enjoyment to our housing, programs, or services. It may also be a physical change to a housing unit, or a public, or common space.

A person with a disability or anyone can submit a request on behalf of a person with a disability.  A person with a disability includes:

• Individuals with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
• Individuals who are regarded as having such an impairment; and
• Individuals with a record of such an impairment.

A reasonable accommodation request can be made in any way and at any time. While the request does not need to be in writing, Home Forward does have a form that you can use to make your request.

A reasonable accommodation request can be made to any person that works for or provides services on behalf of Home Forward. In order to more quickly respond to a reasonable accommodation request, Home Forward encourages requests to be submitted to the following individuals:

• If you live in Home Forward housing: your property management office.   
• If you receive rent assistance, including Housing Choice Voucher holders: the rent assistance staff person assigned to you.
• If you are an applicant: any staff person connected to the building or program you are applying for.    

To process a request, Home Forward must verify that you have a disability and that what you are asking for is necessary because of your disability. We do not need to know the disability or medical condition, only how it impacts your needs.

In some cases, we need a reliable third-party who knows you to verify that you have a disability and that what you are asking for is necessary due to your disability.  Home Forward has a form that you can use to obtain any necessary verification, but use of the form is not required.

Home Forward reviews each request on a case-by-case basis. While several factors affect how long each individual review will take, our goal is:

• To acknowledge all reasonable accommodation requests within five (5) business of receipt, barring exceptional circumstances. 

• To send a substantive written response within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the request or the most recent discussion about the request, barring exceptional circumstances.

A reasonable accommodation request will be approved if all three of the following criteria are met:

1. The request is made on behalf of a person with a disability; and
2. The request is necessary for the requester’s full use and enjoyment of Home Forward’s housing, programs, or services (a disability-based need); and
3. The request is reasonable. A request will be found reasonable if:

• Granting the request does not create an undue administrative and financial burden to Home Forward; and
• Granting the request would not result in fundamental alteration in the nature of Home Forward’s housing, services, or programs.

Even if a request does not meet number 3 above, we will work with you to see if we can find a different accommodation that meets your needs.

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