Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, prohibits federally funded programs and activities from discriminating against qualified persons with disabilities.

When the U.S. Housing Act of 1973 was enacted, persons with disabilities were expected to live institutionalized, in nursing homes, boarding houses or with family.  Times have changed since then and the civil rights laws as Section 504 and the Fair Housing Amendments Act have been enacted so that discrimination does not occur and persons with disabilities can have the same opportunities to live in their own chosen communities.

"Reasonable accommodations" are changes that the JCHA can make to a resident unit, to common areas or to procedures or rules, where the eligible person with a disability may be assisted and benefit from equal opportunity housing without imposing undue administrative or financial hardship to the JCHA.

As a federally funded organization, the JCHA cannot discriminate and must review and modify, to a degree, any request made by persons with disabilities to make sure that they are in compliance with the Section 504 Rehabilitation Act.  The policy of the JCHA is to provide affordable housing to low income persons regardless of disability and making sure it has complied with federal, state and local law.

The JCHA's goal is to provide, to the extent feasible, reasonable accommodations as well as accessibility to any resident with a disability, without any discrimination in regards to race or color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap.