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Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act among the topics discussed

For more information, contact Josh Brown at 304.391.8635

The West Virginia Housing Development Fund recently hosted a training session for housing and construction industry officials interested in learning more about fair housing and what it takes to develop units for disabled renters and occupants. Presented by Josh Brown, the Fund’s Fair Housing Compliance Officer, the session focused on the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Oftentimes, these are the folks who fill a vital role in housing and help those who truly need it the most,” said Erica Boggess, the Fund’s Acting Executive Director. “It’s important that all of our partners have a solid grasp of Fair Housing and ADA regulations.”
Brown presented on a number of topics related to both Acts, including their histories, design factors, terminology, technical requirements, how the Acts work with local codes, basic requirements, types of housing covered or not covered under the Acts, renovations, new construction, code enforcement and a host of other issues.
“This is complex material and we need to make certain developers understand not only how to comply with these regulations, but why they’re important and why being up to code is necessary,” Brown said.
Developers and property managers often have to deal with uncertainty and confusion from renters and other clients in terms of what they have to provide and how they have to provide it. With training sessions like this, the Fund is able to help shed some light on the process and give developers a better understanding of what the expectations are.

“We need to be a resource,” said Brown. “Developers, property managers, architects and anyone involved in housing needs to know the Fund is here to offer guidance.”
For more information about the Fund’s fair housing polices, please contact Brown at 304-391-8635.
Developers and others who attended the training included representatives from Adkins Design, Inc., American Preservation Builders, LLC, Associated Architects, Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, Carl Boyd Maxwell, AIA, Architect, Inc., DLH, PLLC, GL Housing Construction, LLC, Harmony House – Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless, Human Resource Development and Employment, Inc., The Huntington WV Housing Authority, Jarrett Construction Services, Inc., Structures Resources Inc., and Unit Construction, LLC. A number of the Fund’s employees also attended the training.