How does a person request a reasonable accommodation?
All public housing authorities are required to provide reasonable accommodations. Fairfax County has written policies concerning when to offer an accommodation, which is generally when people apply for housing, when applicants are accepted for housing, when tenants recertify housing, and when any adverse action is taken against a tenant. However, it is the applicants’ responsibility to make known a need for an accommodation. If assistance is needed, the request should made in writing, since making it in writing provides a record of the request. Fairfax County has specific forms to request accommodations in their housing programs. A physician or other professional (psychiatrist, social worker, or psychologist, for example) will be required to verify the need for a reasonable accommodation. However, no one can ask about the nature of the disability or for any personal medical information that is not directly related to the request for accommodation. Nor can copies of personal medical rec
