The
Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration (PRPHA) has signed a Voluntary
Compliance Agreement with HUD that will make 2,803 fully-accessible
housing units available for persons with disabilities by August
31, 2010.
PRPHA entered into the agreement after Section 504 compliance reviews
conducted by HUD last February revealed significant deficiencies
relating to the physical accessibility of its common areas and individual
housing units, as well as deficiencies in its policies and procedures
relating to persons with disabilities.
Specifically, many units PRPHA claimed were accessible were not
on accessible routes, or didn't contain accessible bathrooms, kitchens,
or common use areas. In addition, PRPHA did not have a policy regarding
how it would provide reasonable accommodations, and it had no systematic
way of tracking residents on the accessible unit waiting list.
"Today's
announcement is further evidence of the Bush Administration's commitment
to expanding housing opportunities for people with disabilities,"
Housing Secretary Mel Martinez said.
HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Carolyn Y. Peoples said: "Many persons with disabilities have
low incomes and depend heavily on subsidized housing. These kinds
of agreements help ensure that an adequate number of accessible
units will be where persons with disabilities need them the most."
In addition to creating 2,803 fully-accessible units, the VCA requires
that PRPHA make 561 units accessible to individuals with hearing
or visual disabilities, and ensure that its common-use areas, including
management offices, are accessible to persons with disabilities.
The VCA also requires that PRPHA computerize its tenant waiting
lists, create a Web site to inform residents about revised policies
and procedures, and provide all of its employees with training on
the housing authority's responsibility under the Fair Housing Act,
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with
Disabilities Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act.
As the nation's second largest public housing authority, PRPHA oversees
some 56,000 units in 52 towns throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico.
Anyone who believes they have experienced housing discrimination
should call HUD's Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-800-669-9777,
or visit HUD's fair
housing Web site.
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