Preface

The Department is pleased to present the Fair Housing Act Design Manual. The manual was first published in August, 1996, and was updated in 1998. This republication of the 1998 manual is intended to provide clear and helpful guidance about ways to design and construct housing that complies with the Fair Housing Act.

The manual provides comprehensive information about accessibility requirements which must be incorporated into the design and construction of multifamily housing covered by the Act. It carries out two statutory responsibilities:

• first, it provides a clear statement of HUD's interpretation of the accessibility requirements of the Act, so that readers may know what actions on their part will provide them with a "safe harbor," and
• second, it provides guidance in the form of recommendations which meet the Department's obligation to provide technical assistance on alternative accessibility approaches.

Readers following the revised manual can rely on it. They will be in compliance with the Act's accessibility provisions if they carry them out. However, it should be noted that when the manual uses the terms: recommended, preferred, should, could, or uses italics or text labeled as "recommended," the material involved is provided as a suggestion for accessibility and not a requirement under the Act. In addition, HUD currently recognizes six other safe harbors for compliance with the Fair Housing Act's design and construction requirements. The other safe harbors are:

1. HUD's March 6, 1991 Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines (the Guidelines), and the June 28, 1994 Supplemental Notice to Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines: Questions and Answers about the Guidelines;
2. ANSI A117.1-1986, used in conjunction with the Act and HUD's regulations, and the Guidelines;
3. CABO/ANSI A117.1-1992, used in conjunction with the Act, HUD's regulations, and the Guidelines;
4. ICC/ANSI A117.1-1998, used in conjunction with the Act, HUD's regulations, and the Guidelines;
5. Code Requirements for Housing Accessibility 2000 (CRHA), approved and published by the International Code Council (ICC), October 2000;
6. International Building Code 2000 (IBC) as amended by the IBC 2001 Supplement to the International Codes.

It is important to note that the ANSI A117.1 standard contains only technical criteria, whereas the Fair Housing Act, the re.