24 C.F.R. § 8.20
§ 8.20 General requirement concerning program accessibility. (24 CFR Part 8)
Operative Text
Except as otherwise provided in §§ 8.21(c)(1), 8.24(a), 8.25, and 8.31, no qualified individual with handicaps shall, because a recipient's facilities are inaccessible to or unusable by individuals with handicaps, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance.
Under 24 CFR Part 8 § 8.20, programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance may not exclude or discriminate against qualified individuals with handicaps simply because their facilities are physically inaccessible or unusable. This requirement applies broadly across federally assisted programs, though certain enumerated exceptions in related sections can modify its scope in specific circumstances.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Recipients of federal financial assistance, including housing providers, are generally expected under § 8.20 to ensure that program benefits and activities remain accessible to qualified individuals with handicaps, regardless of physical barriers in their facilities. Compliant operators typically audit their programs for accessibility gaps and address them through structural modifications, alternative service delivery, or other reasonable means permitted under the regulation.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 8.20 establishes that qualified individuals with handicaps cannot be denied access to or excluded from federally assisted programs solely due to inaccessible facilities. Tenants who believe a federally assisted housing provider has violated this provision may consider raising the issue with the relevant federal agency, filing a complaint with HUD, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights or disability-rights organization to understand available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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