request for reasonable accommodation was denied

[Guest guest]

Maybe I worded my request wrong; but, the housing specialist that I consulted

with said that my request was the best written one that she had ever seen.

Without attaching the entire letter, I am including excerpts from the letter

that I wrote to our housing director.

First of all, a service dog is not a pet. In fact, it is classified as " durable

medical equipment " . This is not something that I put in my letter to him. I

just am feeling really frustrated with this process.

This is what I started with:

I have a disability as defined by the fair housing laws. I want to use an

assistance dog to help me with the functional limitations related to my

disability. An assistance dog would help give me more access to the community

and allow me to live more independently in my dwelling.

As an accommodation for my disability, I am requesting that you:

Waive your “no-dog†policy

Waive weight/height restrictions

Waive animal/pet deposits or fees

Seems pretty straight forward to me. We live in family housing and according to

what the housing director wrote to me in his reply, HUD does not allow dogs in

family housing. I'm thinking to myself why is he questioning this? Of course,

I have not been able to confirm or deny that HUD does not allow dogs in family

housing. But, that's not really the point. I know that dogs aren't allowed

here so that's why I'm asking to have the no-dog policy to be waived.

Now, he did bring up Trinal Manor which is housing for seniors and disabled;

but, the largest size unit they have there is a 2 bedroom and I need a 3

bedroom. Basically, he implies that it's too bad that I can't live there

because then I would be able to have a dog.

Here's the thing with Trinal Manor, and most senior and disabled apartments in

town: dogs are allowed, but, they have height/weight restrictions in place.

That is why I asked to have height/weight rules waived.

Since service dogs or assistance dogs, or any other name they are known as are

not considered pets, then there should be no pet deposit charged.

I just don't understand how much plainer I could have made this request.

Along with the letter I wrote, I sent a letter from my Independent Living

Specialist. She's the one who helped with the disability application process.

So, she was able to verify that I do meet the definition of disability as

defined in the fair housing laws.

So, what did I do wrong? I really don't know. The housing specialist thinks we

should file a complaint with HUD. She says that so many of these housing

directors have a way of misinterpreting the HUD rules or interpreting the rules

in a way that benefits them. My independent living specialist thinks the

housing director is confused and that we should at least meet with him since he

seems interested in meeting. But, he's asking for more information and I just

don't think he's entitled to know what my disabilities are.

Do any of you have any ideas?

Donna in WA