Housing Accommodations

Fair Housing laws define a person with a disability as an: (a) individual with a physical or mental impairment that limits or substantially limits one or more major life activities; (b) individuals who are regarded as having such an impairment; and (c) individuals with a record of such an impairment.

The Housing Accommodations Board consists of medical professionals, disability specialists, and housing staff that will evaluate the request for an accommodation in the following way:

1. The student meets the definition of having a disability as defined by federal and state Fair Housing laws (the specific diagnosis need not be disclosed), 
   1. The condition is a physical or mental impairment that limits or substantially limits a major life activity; or
   2. The individual has a recorded history of having an impairment that limits or substantially limits one or more major life activities; or
   3. The individual is regarded as having a disability.
2. The relationship between the functional limitations associated with the requester’s disability and the need for the requested accommodation are necessary to afford an equal opportunity to usage and enjoyment of University-owned Housing.
   1. Third party must present the justification for any necessary and needed accommodation and/or modification to University-owned housing rules, policies, practices, or services when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such a person [with a disability] an equal opportunity to use and enjoy University-owned Housing.
   2. Words such as “necessary”, “essential”, or “prescribed” should be used to describe the requestor’s need for the recommended accommodation.
   3. The third party must state how the accommodation provides equal use and enjoyment of University-owned Housing by mitigating at least one of the functional limitations directly associated with the disability.

Quick Tip: To show that a requested accommodation may be necessary, there must be an identifiable relationship, or nexus, between the requested accommodation and the resident's disability. A failure to provide that information for the committee may result in a delay of the requested accommodation or in possible denial.

If the individual's disability and the necessity for the accommodation are obvious (e.g. an individual with a physical disability using a wheelchair needs an accessible room), the individual need only explain what type of accommodation they are requesting. No verification of disability is required under these circumstances. The CAE reserves the right to make an in-person individualized assessment in order to determine that the request is observable, logical, and necessary. If the disability is obvious but the need for the accommodation is not obvious and/or logical, the CAE reserves the right to request documentation that establishes the nexus between the disability and the need for the requested accommodation.

If the disability and need for the accommodation is not obvious, the University requires the individual to produce documentation from a reliable and appropriate third-party that will clearly provide the information necessary to verify whether the individual making the request has a disability and/or to evaluate if the reasonable accommodation is necessary to provide the individual an equal opportunity to use and enjoy University housing.

A reliable third party is someone who is familiar with the individual's disability and can describe why and how the requested accommodation is necessary. A reliable third-party includes, but is not limited to, a social worker, licensed therapist, psychiatrist, physician, doctor or other medical professional.

If the third produces insufficient information for the Accommodations Board to determine whether an accommodation is necessary, the Housing Coordinator will inform the individual in writing of the verification’s insufficiency and may request additional information, including speaking directly with the individual supplying the third-party verification, within seven (7) business days of receiving the verification.

The individual making the request for accommodation must cooperate with the Housing Coordinator in a timely manner by providing all information needed to determine whether the requested accommodation is necessary.

Documentation is to be provided in writing by the appropriate medical/licensed third party professional who is in a position to produce the necessary information regarding the individual’s disability. Documentation must include information the professional’s signature, and licensure information.

UCLA recognizes the importance of “Service Animals as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and the broader category of “Assistance Animals under the Fair Housing Act (refer to: Animals on University Property, policy 135). UCLA is committed to allowing individuals with disabilities the use of a Service Animal on campus to facilitate their full-participation and equal access to the University’s programs and activities. This section outlines the process for requesting a service animal in University-owned Housing.

A Service Animal means any dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform a task for an individual with a disability, including physical, sensory, or other disability. The work or tasks performed by the Service Animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability.

When a person's disability is obvious, or otherwise known to the CAE through an individualized assessment, and if the need for the requested accommodation is also readily apparent, then the CAE may not request any additional information about the residents’ disability or the disability-related need for the service animal.

If the animal is a service dog trained to perform service tasks, then the resident’s Housing Accommodation Request must answer two questions (1) Is this a service animal that is required because of a disability? AND (2) What work or tasks has the animal been trained to perform?

Any resident with a service animal requesting to live in University housing must submit:

• Housing Accommodation Request Form, and
• Explanation of the disability-related need for the animal such as the type of work and/or tasks the animal is trained to perform (NOTE: refer to apparent vs not apparent sections above).

When a disability is not obvious and/or if the requester's disability is known or readily apparent to the CAE, but the need for the accommodation is not readily apparent or known, the CAE may request information that is necessary to evaluate the disability-related need for the accommodation. The CAE may request reliable disability-related information that (1) verifies that the person meets the Act's definition of disability (i.e., has a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities), (2) describes how the need for the requested accommodation mitigates one or more functional limitation, and (3) shows the relationship between the residents disability and the need for the requested accommodation.

UCLA is also committed to allowing Assistance Animals necessary to provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy University housing. This section explains the specific requirements applicable to an individual’s use of an Assistance Animal in University housing (refer to: Animals on University Property, policy 135.). This section applies solely to “Assistance Animals” which may be necessary in University housing. It does not apply to “service animals” as defined by the ADAAA.

Assistance Animals can be any animal and are not trained to perform specific tasks directly related to an individual’s disability. Instead, assistance animals may provide necessary emotional support to an individual with a disability but are not considered a Service Animal under the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The question in determining if an Assistance Animal will be allowed in University housing is whether or not the Assistance Animal is necessary to afford the individual an equal opportunity to use and enjoy University housing and its presence in University housing is reasonable. Per UCLA Policy 135, even if the individual with a disability establishes necessity for an Assistance Animal and it is allowed in University housing, an Assistance Animal is not permitted in other areas of the University (e.g. dining facilities, academic buildings, athletic building, facilities, classrooms, labs, etc.). Please note: with the exception of a service animal, the animal should not be in residence unless/until the request is approved. The approval of a request is animal-specific and is not transferable to a different animal.

The resident is to submit a Housing Accommodation Request Form for an Assistance Animal, the resident must submit reliable disability-related information which: (1) verifies that the person meets the Act's definition of disability (i.e., has a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities), (2) describes how the needed accommodation mitigates one or more functional limitations, and (3) justifies the relationship between the residents disability and the need for the requested Assistance Animal as a necessary accommodation for the equal use and enjoyment of the University housing assignment.</p>

The Housing Accommodation Board will base the reasonableness of the therapeutic relationship as described by The American Counseling Associations Code of Ethics C.2.a Boundaries of Competence and the Human-Animal Interactions in Counseling (herein referred to as HAIC) statement regarding Assistance Animals (valid through March 2024). Specifically, HAIC states that:

“…counselors abstain from writing letters for persons seeking counseling or assessment for the sole purpose of obtaining an ESA recommendation letter unless the counselor has specialized training and experience in working with the human-animal bond in counseling such as would be outlined in the ACA AAT-C Competencies, due to the potential risks involved for clients, the public, the counselor, and the animal."

Generally, mental health care professionals who have had no contact with a patient except for limited encounters specifically intended to produce an ESA letter are not considered reliable; to confirm the professional-client relationship as such limited encounters lack diagnostic rigor and the level of familiarity with the functional limitations arising from the diagnosis to support robust recommendations.

An individual with a disability must complete the “Housing Accommodation Request Form” (the “Request Form”) to request a reasonable accommodation for the year in which they are guaranteed University-owned housing. Copies of the Request Form are available from the Center for Accessible Education. If the individual requires assistance in completing the Request Form because of their disability, the Housing Accommodations Coordinator will provide assistance in completing the form.

Housing Accommodation Request Form 2019-2020 Academic Year

Housing Accommodation Request Form 2020-2021 Academic Year

• Incoming Resident: The CAE will accept and consider requests for reasonable accommodation in University housing at any time. The individual making the request should complete the Request Form to the CAE as soon as practicably possible before moving into University housing. However, if the request for accommodation is made fewer than 60 days before the individual intends to move into University housing, the University cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet the individual’s accommodation needs during the first quarter or term of occupancy.
• Current Resident: If the need for the accommodation arises when an individual already resides in University housing, they are to complete the Request Form as soon as practicably possible. Housing cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet the accommodation needs during the quarter or term in which the request is received.

The CAE shall limit its requests for information to only that which is necessary to verify whether the individual making the request has a disability and/or to evaluate if the reasonable accommodation is necessary to provide the individual an equal opportunity to use and enjoy University housing. To determine if you need to submit third party documentation, please refer to the Documentation and Support Letter Guidelines of the Housing Accommodation Handbook. 

• Obvious disability: If the individual's disability and the necessity for the accommodation are obvious (e.g. an individual with a physical disability using a wheelchair needs an accessible room), the individual need only explain what type of accommodation they are requesting (refer to Housing Accommodation Handbook). Residents will meet in-person with the Housing Accommodations Coordinator for an individualized assessment to establish the individual’s disability and need of the requested accommodation.
• Non-obvious disability: If the disability and necessity for the accommodation are not obvious, the CAE requires the individual produce reliable third party documentation to verify that the individual has a disability and that the requested accommodation is necessary to provide the individual an equal opportunity to use and enjoy university housing.

If the Board determines a requested accommodation is necessary and is not unreasonable, it will contact the individual, in writing, within seven (7) business days of its determination, and the Housing Coordinator shall provide Housing with the Board’s recommendation. All requests and housing recommendations are reviewed and determined on a case-by-case basis.

• Unreasonable Accommodation: The Board may deny the requested accommodation if the accommodation is to: (1) impose an undue financial and/or administrative burden; (2) fundamentally alters university housing policies; (3) poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others or would cause substantial property damage to the property of others, including University property; and/or (4) is otherwise unreasonable to the operation of the University.
• Incomplete Information: If the third party returns the documentation without sufficient information for the Board to determine whether an accommodation is necessary, the Housing Coordinator will inform the individual in writing of the documentations insufficiency and may request additional or clarifying information, including speaking directly with the individual supplying the third-party verification, within seven (7) to fourteen (14) business days of receiving the verification.
• Interactive Process: The individual making the request for accommodation must cooperate with the Housing Coordinator and CAE in a timely manner in providing all information needed to determine whether the requested accommodation is necessary.

Absent exceptional circumstances, within seven (7) working days of the Boards decision, the Housing Coordinator will contact the individual in writing. The decision may include but is not limited to: (1) a Housing recommendation based on the approval of the requested housing accommodation(s), or (2) an alternative to the requested accommodation, or (3) denial of the requested accommodation. Residents are provided an opportunity to appeal an accommodation decision. For more information, refer to Appealing a Housing Accommodation Decision section and on page 17 of the Housing Accommodation Handbook.

Appeals will generally be considered when new supporting documentation is provided in justification of the request, and/or when there is stated and explained belief that Board committed a procedural error in its initial review.

If the individual is unwilling to accept any alternative accommodation offered by the Board or there are no alternative accommodations available, the Coordinator will provide a verbal explanation and written notification to the individual of the denial, the reasons for the denial, the right to appeal the decision, and the procedures for that appeals process. The notification shall be in writing and made within seven (7) business days of the notification from the individual of their unwillingness to accept any of the alternative accommodations offered or the determination that there are no alternative accommodations available.

All appeals are reviewed by the Housing Appeals Board and may be in collaboration with Residential Life, ADA/Section 504 Compliance Officer, and/or other departments when necessary. If the appeal is denied, the Director of the CAE shall provide written notification of the denial to the individual and a written explanation with all of the reasons for the denial.