You cannot be turned away for a disability
The federal Fair Housing Act makes disability a protected class. A housing provider cannot refuse you, charge you more, or set different terms because of a disability — yours or that of someone who will live with you.
Reasonable accommodations — they must bend a rule when you need it
You can ask a provider to make an exception to a rule when it is needed because of a disability — for example, allowing a service or support animal despite a “no pets” policy, a ground-floor room, or a live-in aide. Ask in writing; they must consider it and cannot charge a fee for it.
Reasonable modifications — you can make it accessible
You have the right to make reasonable physical changes for access — grab bars, a ramp, a wider doorway. In private housing the tenant usually pays; in federally funded housing the provider often does. A provider cannot forbid the change.
The right to community living (Olmstead)
Under the ADA and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, people with disabilities have the right to receive services in the most integrated setting — a real home in the community — not an institution, when a community placement is appropriate. Small licensed supported homes exist for exactly this reason.
Supported homes are protected from discriminatory zoning
A town cannot use zoning or occupancy rules to keep a licensed supported home for people with disabilities out of a neighborhood, and must make reasonable accommodations to its own rules (for example, a spacing or permit requirement) when they would block needed housing. This is settled Fair Housing Act law.
Accessible design in newer buildings
Multifamily housing with four or more units built for first occupancy after March 1991 must meet the Fair Housing Act’s accessible-design standards — accessible entrances, usable doors and routes, and bathrooms that can be adapted.
If the housing is federally funded
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA add protections in housing and programs that receive federal money or are run by state or local government — including accessibility and, again, reasonable accommodations.
How to enforce these rights — in any state
If you believe you were discriminated against, you can file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing (FHEO) — it is free, and you generally have one year. Call 1-800-669-9777 (TTY dial 711), or file online at hud.gov. Every state also has its own fair-housing or human-relations agency that enforces the same rights; HUD can route you to yours. For free legal help, dial 211 or search LawHelp.org.
This is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact HUD FHEO, your state fair-housing agency, or a legal-aid attorney.
Where Mai Heaven fits
Everything we are building rests on these rights — community living over institutions, dignity, and reasonable accommodation as the default. A referral joins the waiting list. Refer someone or join the list · Resident rights.