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The PHA will provide a written decision to the person requesting the <br />accommodation within iQ days. If a person is denied the accommodation or <br />feels that the alternative suggestions are inadequate, they may request an <br />informal hearing to review the PHA's decision. <br />Reasonable accommodation will be made for persons with a disability that <br />requires an advocate or accessible offices. A designee will be allowed to provide <br />some information, but only with the permission of the person with the disability, <br />All PHA mailings will be made available in an accessible format upon request, as <br />a reasonable accommodation. <br />In practice, reasonable accommodations have been and can be made in several ways upon <br />request including, but not limited to the following: <br />1. Home visits to complete annual recertification processes and applications; <br />2. Coordination with case managers/social workers/relatives/other authorized <br />representatives to obtain the written documents necessary for the program; <br />3. Agency visits to explain the Section 8 Program and answer general program <br />questions; <br />4. Increases in the voucher payment standard to accommodate higher rents for suitable <br />housing for persons with disabilities,. <br />5. Notifying the disability community before opening the Section 8 waiting list to accept <br />applications; <br />6. Providing extra time to gather documentation of eligibility; <br />7, Making exceptions to screening criteria regarding criminal histories based on <br />mitigating circumstances; and <br />8. Allowing time for extensions to the time allowed for a housing search, <br />It is important to note this is not an exhaustive list of possible accommodations. The PHA's <br />current Reasonable Accommodations Policy allows the agency to be flexible and responsive as <br />needs arise in the disabled community. However, in order far the Department to know that a <br />specific reasonable accommodation is necessary for program applicants and participants a <br />specific request must be submitted to the PHA since it is difficult to know the individual needs of <br />each person with a disability,. <br />As mentioned earlier, in an effort to increase outreach efforts, County staff has enlisted the <br />assistance of disability advocates and organizations serving the disabled population to identify <br />other methods far ensuring that the Section 8 Program adequately serves the disabled <br />community. As an example, one suggestion made to date involves this agency sending a copy <br />of written correspondence to a Section 8 participant (with their consent) to a designated service <br />provider who can assist them in meeting their program obligations, This is a reasonable request <br />and staff hopes to be able to continue to identify other effective outreach methods in <br />collaboration with other interested individuals and organizations. Plans have been made for <br />county staff to meet with iwo groups of interested groups in the coming months to continue this <br />discussion, <br />