Ho using L e g a l Upda te : Da ng e ro us Anima ls a nd Bre e ds - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ho using L e g a l Upda te : Da ng e ro us Anima ls a nd Bre e ds Sc o tt Pa rrish Mo o re

Anima ls • Se rvic e Anima l • E mo tio na l Suppo rt Anima l • T he ra py Anima l • Co mfo rt Anima l • Co mpa nio n Anima ls

Anima ls • Only o ne type o f a nima l de fine d in a ny fe de ra l sta tute "SE RVI CE ANI MAL "

Wha t is a “se rvic e a nima l”? • “[A]ny do g tha t is individua lly tra ine d to do wo rk o r pe rfo rm ta sks fo r the b e ne fit o f a n individua l with a disa b ility, inc luding a physic a l, se nso ry, psyc hia tric , inte lle c tua l, o r o the r me nta l disa b ility.”

Wha t is a “se rvic e a nima l”? • Only do g s – “Othe r spe c ie s o f a nima ls, whe the r wild o r do me stic , tra ine d o r untra ine d, a re no t se rvic e a nima ls fo r the purpo se s o f this de finitio n.”

“Wo rk” o r “T a sks” • T he wo rk o r ta sks pe rfo rme d b y a se rvic e a nima l must b e dire c tly re la te d to the individua l´s disa b ility.

DOE S NOTINCL UDE DOGS NE CE SSARY SOL E L Y F OR E MOT IONAL SUPPORT / COMF ORT / COMPANIONSHIP “T he c rime de te rre nt e ffe c ts o f a n a nima l´s pre se nc e a nd the pro visio n o f e mo tio na l suppo rt, we ll-b e ing , c o mfo rt, o r c o mpa nio nship do no t c o nstitute wo rk o r ta sks fo r the purpo se s o f this de finitio n.”

Anima ls • No e xpre ss re fe re nc e to a nima ls in F HA o r HUD's re g ula tio ns • No e xpre ss re fe re nc e to a nima ls in Se c tio n 504 o r HUD's re g ula tio ns

F a ir Ho using Ac t • "A re fusa l to ma ke re a so na b le a c c o mmo da tio ns in rule s, po lic ie s, pra c tic e s, o r se rvic e s, whe n suc h a c c o mmo da tio ns ma y b e ne c e ssa ry to a ffo rd suc h pe rso ns e q ua l o ppo rtunity to use a nd e njo y a dwe lling "

Se c tio n 504 • "A re c ipie nt sha ll mo dify its ho using po lic ie s a nd pra c tic e s to e nsure tha t the se po lic ie s a nd pra c tic e s do no t disc rimina te , o n the b a sis o f ha ndic a p, a g a inst a q ua lifie d individua l with ha ndic a ps."

"Assista nc e Anima ls" HUD's "Se rvic e a nd Assista nc e Anima ls fo r Pe o ple with Disa b ilitie s in Ho using a nd HUD-F unde d Pro g ra ms

Assista nc e Anima ls • HUD Guida nc e – Diffe re nc e b e twe e n a "se rvic e a nima l" a nd "a ssista nc e a nima l" – Applic a b ility o f F HA, Se c tio n 504, a nd ADA – Guida nc e re g a rding e va lua ting re q ue sts fo r a nima ls in ho using

Assista nc e Anima l • HUD Guida nc e – Ja nua ry 25, 2018 • De pa rtme nt c ivil litig a to rs a re pro hib ite d fro m using g uida nc e do c ume nts—o r no nc o mplia nc e with g uida nc e do c ume nts—to e sta b lish vio la tio ns o f la w in a ffirma tive c ivil e nfo rc e me nt a c tio ns.

T hre e L a ws/ T hre e Ob lig a tio ns • HUD Guida nc e : • "I n situa tio ns whe re the ADA a nd the F HAc t/ Se c tio n 504 a pply (e .g ., a pub lic ho using a g e nc y, sa le s o r le a sing o ffic e s, o r ho using a sso c ia te d with a unive rsity o r o the r pla c e s o f e duc a tio n), ho using pro vide r must me e t the ir o b lig a tio ns unde r [a ll thre e la ws]"

T hre e L a ws/ T hre e Ob lig a tio ns • I t ma tte rs b e c a use – De finitio n o f Disa b ility is diffe re nt – T ype o f a nima l re q uire d is diffe re nt – Ve rific a tio n pro c e dure s a re diffe re nt

Assista nc e Anima l • HUD Guida nc e – "I t is a n a nima l tha t wo rks, pro vide s a ssista nc e , o r pe rfo rms ta sks fo r the b e ne fit o f a pe rso n with a disa b ility, o r pro vide s e mo tio na l suppo rt tha t a lle via te s o ne o r mo re ide ntifie d sympto ms o r e ffe c ts o f a pe rso n's disa b ility."

Assista nc e Anima ls • I s this de finitio n a c c ura te ? – pe rfo rms wo rk, a ssista nc e , o r ta sks "fo r the b e ne fit o f a pe rso n with a disa b ility" – "a lle via te s o ne o r mo re ide ntifie d sympto ms o r e ffe c ts" o f the disa b ility • Do e s this write o ut "e q ua l o ppo rtunity"

"Disa b ility" • All thre e la ws ha ve the sa me b a sic de finitio n: – A me nta l o r physic a l impa irme nt tha t sub sta ntia lly limits o ne o r mo re ma jo r life a c tivitie s

"Disa b ility" • ADA a nd Se c tio n 504 ha ve sa me de finitio n a nd c o nstruc tio n – 2008 ADA/ Se c tio n 504 Ame ndme nt • Ove rturne d Supre me Co urt de c isio ns tha t re stric te d who is a pe rso n with a disa b ility • Co nstrue d in fa vo r o f b ro a d c o ve ra g e

"Disa b ility" • Co ng re ss did no t a me nd the de finitio n o f disa b ility unde r the F HA – Sto we ll v. Ope n Do o r Missio n , 2017 WL 1380537 (D. Ne b . 2017) ("As the F HA de finitio n o f ha ndic a p wa s no t c o rre spo nding ly a me nde d whe n the a me ndme nts we re ma de to the ADA in 2008, pre -a me ndme nt ADA c a se s c o ntinue to g uide the inte rpre ta tio n o f F HA c a se s."

"Disa b ility" • A pe rso n ma y b e e ntitle d to a n a nima l in fe de ra lly funde d pro pe rtie s b ut no t c o nve ntio na l • A pe rso n ma y b e e ntitle d to ha ve a "se rvic e a nima l" in the re nta l o ffic e b ut no t a s a re side nt o f the pro pe rty

Ve rific a tio n • "Ho using pro vide rs a re to e va lua te a re q ue st fo r re a so na b le a c c o mmo da tio n to po sse ss a n a ssista nc e a nima l in a dwe lling using the g e ne ra l princ iple s a pplic a b le to a ll re a so na b le a c c o mmo da tio n re q ue sts."

Ve rific a tio n "Do e s the pe rso n se e king to use a nd live with the a nima l ha ve a disa b ility– i.e . , a physic a l o r me nta l impa irme nt tha t sub sta ntia lly limits o ne o r mo re ma jo r life a c tivitie s? "

Ve rific a tio n • HUD Guida nc e do e s no t disting uish b e twe e n the F HA a nd Se c tio n 504 • Sho uld it?

Ve rific a tio n Ob vio us v. No t Ob vio us

Ve rific a tio n • Who c a n pro vide it? – "the ho using pro vide r ma y a sk pe rso ns who a re se e king . . . a n a ssista nc e a nima l tha t pro vide s e mo tio na l suppo rt to pro vide do c ume nta tio n fro m a physic ia n, psyc hia trist, so c ia l wo rke r, o r o the r me nta l he a lth pro fe ssio na l . . ."

"Ve rific a tio n" • Wha t c a n a ho using pro vide r a sk a b o ut Disa b ility? – I de ntify the disa b ility? – I de ntify the impa irme nt? – I de ntify ho w the impa irme nt sub sta ntia lly limits o ne o r mo re ma jo r life a c tivitie s? – I de ntify mitig a ting me a sure s?

Ve rific a tio n • "A ho using pro vide r a lso ma y no t a sk a n a pplic a nt o r te na nt to pro vide a c c e ss to me dic a l re c o rds o r me dic a l pro vide rs o r pro vide de ta ile d o r e xte nsive info rma tio n o r do c ume nta tio n o f a pe rso n's physic a l o r me nta l impa irme nts." – I s this a c c ura te ? – Wha t do e s this me a n?

"Ve rific a tio n" "Do e s the pe rso n ma king the re q ue st ha ve a disa b ility-re la te d ne e d fo r a n a ssista nc e a nima l? " "I n o the r wo rds, do e s the a nima l wo rk, pro vide a ssista nc e , pe rfo rm ta sks o r se rvic e fo r the b e ne fit o f a pe rso n with a disa b ility, o r pro vide e mo tio na l suppo rt tha t a lle via te s o ne o r mo re o f the ide ntifie d sympto ms o r e ffe c ts o f a pe rso n's e xisting disa b ility?

What is “necessary”? It makes me feel better

Re a so na b le • "the F HAc t a nd Se c tio n 504 re q uire the ho using pro vide r . . . to pe rmit a pe rso n with a disa b ility to live with a nd use a n a ssista nc e a nima l(s) in a ll a re a s o f the pre mise s whe re pe rso ns a re no rma lly a llo we d to g o . . ."

Re a so na b le • Unre a so na b le if: – Wo uld impo se a n undue fina nc ia l a nd a dministra tive b urde n – Wo uld funda me nta lly a lte r the na ture o f the ho using pro vide r's se rvic e s

Re a so na b le • Wha t is funda me nta l? – Pe a c e a nd q uite e njo yme nt – L e a se pro visio ns – Wha t e lse ?

Re a so na b le • "the spe c ific a ssista nc e a nima l in q ue stio n po se s: – A dire c t thre a t to the he a lth a nd sa fe ty o f o the rs/ to c a use sub sta ntia l pro pe rty da ma g e to the pro pe rty o f o the rs – tha t c a nno t b e re duc e d o r e limina te d b y a no the r re a so na b le a c c o mmo da tio n

Da ng e ro us Bre e ds "Bre e d, size , a nd we ig ht limita tio ns ma y no t b e a pplie d to a n a ssista nc e a nima l"