HUD Handbook 7465.1 § 5-2

a.      POLICY - Type of Unit Needed

            Without incurring vacancies, PHAs must make every
            reasonable effort to provide units which are specially
            designed for the handicapped to families with
            physically handicapped members who require such units.

    b.      POLICY - Type of Project Needed

            (1)   PHAs must give elderly families a preference in
                  admission to projects for the elderly.

            (2)   PHAs may not set a minimum age (like 50 or 55) for
                  the admission of handicapped or disabled persons
                  to projects for the elderly.

            (3)   PHAs may not exclude elderly families with
                  children from projects for the elderly having
                  units of the appropriate size.

            (4)   PHAs may not give either elderly families or
                  non-elderly families a preference for admission to
                  general occupancy projects. An elderly family
                  which wants to or needs to be admitted to a
                  general occupancy project must be considered on
                  the same basis as any other family.

    c.      DISCUSSION - Type of Unit Needed

            (1)   Specially designed units are sometimes referred to
                  as accessible or barrier-free units. They may
                  have ramps, grab bars, lower counters, special
                  facilities, etc., for those with mobility

                  problems. Sometimes they are equipped for the
                  hearing impaired or those with other kinds of
                  handicaps.

            (2)   Families which meet the HUD definition of
                  handicapped or disabled often do not require
                  specially designed units. For example, a person
                  who is mentally handicapped would not need a unit
                  designed for a person with a mobility impairment
                  and should not be offered such a unit.

            (3)   Some families that do not meet the HUD definition
                  of handicapped or disabled may need a specially
                  designed unit. For example, a family in which the
                  child or grandparent uses a wheelchair may need
                  and be provided a specially designed unit even
                  though the head and spouse (the parents) are not
                  handicapped or disabled.

(4)   If a unit can be adapted to either handicapped or
                  more general usage, the PHA can decide whether to
                  target it for handicapped applicants or consider
                  it like any other unit.

            (5)   To avoid vacancies, if there is no applicant that
                  requires a specially designed unit of a particular
                  size, the PHA may want to:

                  (a)   slightly overhouse an applicant needing a
                        specially designed but smaller unit (e.g.,
                        admitting a family needing a specially
                        designed two-bedroom unit to a specially
                        designed three-bedroom unit); or

                  (b)   house an applicant needing that size unit but
                        not requiring special features (e.g.,
                        admitting a family needing a regular three-bedroom
                        unit to a specially designed three-bedroom unit).

                  In either case the PHA should include a provision
                  in the lease requiring the family to move if
                  someone needing that size specially designed unit
                  applies and there is an appropriate unit available
                  for the family originally admitted.

       d.   DISCUSSION - Type of Project Needed

            (1)   PHAs should consider the suitability of a project
                  in relation to the family's needs. If appropriate
                  size units exist in both a general occupancy
                  project and a project for the elderly, elderly
                  families with children and young handicapped or

                  disabled persons may be better housed in the
                  general occupancy project. For example, the
                  general occupancy project might have other
                  children their age, a playground, etc. The
                  general occupancy project might also be more
                  conducive to mainstreaming a young handicapped or
                  disabled person.

            (2)   In introducing younger persons into an elderly
                  population, the PHA shoul4i consider orientation
                  for both groups to help overcome any apprehension
                  that might otherwise occur.

            (3)   When there are not enough elderly applicants,
                  nonelderly applicants may be offered appropriate
                  units in projects for the elderly.