The Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration (PRPHA) has signed a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with HUD that will make 2,803 fully-accessible housing units available for persons with disabilities by August 31, 2010.

PRPHA entered into the agreement after Section 504 compliance reviews conducted by HUD last February revealed significant deficiencies relating to the physical accessibility of its common areas and individual housing units, as well as deficiencies in its policies and procedures relating to persons with disabilities.

Specifically, many units PRPHA claimed were accessible were not on accessible routes, or didn't contain accessible bathrooms, kitchens, or common use areas. In addition, PRPHA did not have a policy regarding how it would provide reasonable accommodations, and it had no systematic way of tracking residents on the accessible unit waiting list.

"Today's announcement is further evidence of the Bush Administration's commitment to expanding housing opportunities for people with disabilities," Housing Secretary Mel Martinez said.

HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Carolyn Y. Peoples said: "Many persons with disabilities have low incomes and depend heavily on subsidized housing. These kinds of agreements help ensure that an adequate number of accessible units will be where persons with disabilities need them the most."

In addition to creating 2,803 fully-accessible units, the VCA requires that PRPHA make 561 units accessible to individuals with hearing or visual disabilities, and ensure that its common-use areas, including management offices, are accessible to persons with disabilities.

The VCA also requires that PRPHA computerize its tenant waiting lists, create a Web site to inform residents about revised policies and procedures, and provide all of its employees with training on the housing authority's responsibility under the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act.

As the nation's second largest public housing authority, PRPHA oversees some 56,000 units in 52 towns throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Anyone who believes they have experienced housing discrimination should call HUD's Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-800-669-9777, or visit HUD's fair housing Web site.