A New FHA Safe Harbor

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April 05, 2021 by Caitlin Gamache, P.E.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) requires that multifamily housing buildings constructed after March 1991 contain accessible features for persons with disabilities.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recognizes various safe harbors for compliance with the FHA design and construction requirements.

Effective March 8, 2021, the 2009 International Building Code (IBC) and the 2009 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities (ICC A117.1) will be a new allowable safe harbor.  The ruling made by HUD also designates the 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 editions of the IBC as safe harbors.  This is the first update to the safe harbor list in 15 years and will help streamline regulatory requirements in many states that reference ICC A117.1 by way of the state building code.

If you have questions on accessibility compliance, please reach out to our office to find out how we can assist.  Contact us at info@crcfire.com for more information.

Application of any information provided, for any use, is at the reader’s risk and without liability to Code Red Consultants. Code Red Consultants does not warrant the accuracy of any information contained in this blog as applicable codes and standards change over time. The application, enforcement and interpretation of codes and standards may vary between Authorities Having Jurisdiction and for this reason, registered design professionals should be consulted to determine the appropriate application of codes and standards to a specific scope of work.