Properties with City financing are subject to federal accessibility regulations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended; the Fair Housing Act, as amended; and California Building Code. Although this was clearly stated in the Loan Agreement with the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), now known as the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), it has come to our attention that some properties do not meet these requirements.
Therefore, prior to approval of the subordination of City liens, ownership transfers, or other transactions requiring City approval and/or certifications that the project is in compliance with all requirements and that there is no default under the Regulatory Agreement, the City will require a report from a Certified Accessibility Specialist confirming that the entire development is in compliance with the 504/ADA standards that were in effect when the project was constructed.
Whether the residential development was new construction, acquisition and substantial or moderate rehabilitation, or the acquisition of an existing building, the property will need a thorough inspection and accessibility report by a licensed and Certified Accessibility Consultant. You, as the owner, may be certain that the development meets all requirements; however, the consultant may, upon research and further inspection, find conditions that need to be addressed. If, in the accessibility report, there are items that are not in compliance, those items will need to be identified within the CASp report before City approval can be given. The property owner will also need to provide the City with a planned strategy to remedy the deficiencies which includes a cost estimate and a time frame to remedy the deficiencies as determined within the report. We recognize that remediating some conditions may be technically infeasible or structurally impracticable. While the owner will not be required to address those conditions, those items will be listed in the report, as will the scope of work for remediation, as described above.
LAHD projects must comply with the applicable accessibility standards which include:
Or as an alternate to UFAS, you can view the HUD 504 – ADA exceptions. For further information regarding tenant and owner fair housing policies, please see Tenant Handbook Related to Disability and Owner Policies Related to Disability.
FAQs
Q: Which standards apply to my project?
A: Please review the Accessibility Regulations Matrix & Overview
Q: Is the Enhanced Accessibility Program(EAP) a requirement for my project?
A: No, but if you choose to participate in the program, please see this EAP page for further clarifications.
Q: What are LAHD’s General Accessibility Standards & Requirements?
A: Please review the General Accessibility Requirements
Q: Does LADBS check plans for Federal Accessibility Compliance Requirements?
A: No, Building Departments only check for California Building Code (CBC) compliance. Please refer to the State Architect’s bulletin.
Q: Which chapters of CBC does multi-family housing has to comply with?
A: Chapter 11A & 11B
Q: Which Chapter under CBC does LAHD multi-family dwelling projects have to comply with?
A: Chapter 11B for permanent housing, since LAHD generally funds permanent and not transient housing facilities.
Q: Under ADA 2010 & UFAS, what are the percentage of mobility & communication units required?
A: 5% & 2%, respectively
Q: What is TCAC’s required percentage of mobility & communication units as of January, 2015?
A: 10% & 4%, respectively. Please see TCAC attachment 10, Item K
Q: Is there a guideline available to assist in providing the required distribution of mobility and communication units?
A: Yes, refer to the Accessible Units matrix
Q: What are LAHD’s Accessibility Report procedures?
A: Please refer to the Accessibility Reports Requirements & Procedures
Q: What is LAHD’s Fair Housing Policy in regard to disability?
A: Please refer to the Tenant Handbook Related to Disability and Owner Policies Related to Disability.
Thank you for visiting LAHD’s Architectural Design Review & Accessibility Compliance web page.
For multi-family housing the LADBS checks for compliance with CBC chapters 11A & 11B.
