FHA Design & Construction

Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(C); 24 C.F.R. § 100.205

The federal Fair Housing Act requires covered multifamily dwellings designed and constructed for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 to meet seven accessibility design and construction requirements, including at least one accessible building entrance on an accessible route, accessible and usable common areas, usable doors wide enough for wheelchair passage, an accessible route into and through the dwelling unit, accessible placement of light switches/outlets/thermostats, reinforced bathroom walls for later grab-bar installation, and usable kitchens and bathrooms. Coverage applies to all units in elevator buildings of four or more units and to all ground-floor units in non-elevator buildings of four or more units. This is a federal statute enforced by HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice, not a New York City (HPD) regulation.