(a) General. A recipient shall operate each existing housing program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance so that the program or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with handicaps. This paragraph does not—

(1) Necessarily require a recipient to make each of its existing facilities accessible to and usable by individuals with handicaps;

(2) Require a recipient to take any action that it can demonstrate would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of its program or activity or in undue financial and administrative burdens. If an action would result in such an alteration or such burdens, the recipient shall take any action that would not result in such an alteration or such burdens but would nevertheless ensure that individuals with handicaps receive the benefits and services of the program or activity.

(b) Methods. A recipient may comply with the requirements of this section through such means as reassignment of services to accessible buildings, assignment of aides to beneficiaries, provision of housing or related services at alternate accessible sites, alteration of existing facilities and construction of new facilities, or any other methods that result in making its programs or activities readily accessible to and usable by individuals with handicaps. A recipient is not required to make structural changes in existing housing facilities where other methods are effective in achieving compliance with this section or to provide supportive services that are not part of the program. In choosing among available methods for meeting the requirements of this section, the recipient shall give priority to those methods that offer programs and activities to qualified individuals with handicaps in the most integrated setting appropriate.

(c) Time period for compliance. The recipient shall comply with the obligations established under this section within sixty days of July 11, 1988 except that—

(1) In a public housing program where structural changes in facilities are undertaken, such changes shall be made within the timeframes established in §8.25(c).

(2) In other housing programs, where structural changes in facilities are undertaken, such changes shall be made within three years of July 11, 1988, but in any event as expeditiously as possible.

(d) Transition plan and time period for structural changes. Except as provided in §8.25(c), in the event that structural changes to facilities will be undertaken to achieve program accessibility, a recipient shall develop, within six months of July 11, 1988, a transition plan setting forth the steps necessary to complete such changes. The plan shall be developed with the assistance of interested persons, including individuals with handicaps or organizations representing individuals with handicaps. A copy of the transition plan shall be made available for public inspection. The plan shall, at a minimum—

(1) Identify physical obstacles in the recipient's facilities that limit the accessibility of its programs or activities to individuals with handicaps;

(2) Describe in detail the methods that will be used to make the facilities accessible;

(3) Specify the schedule for taking the steps necessary to achieve compliance with this section and, if the time period of the transition plan is longer than one year, identify steps that will be taken during each year of the transition period;

(4) Indicate the official responsible for implementation of the plan; and

(5) Identify the persons or groups with whose assistance the plan was prepared.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2529-0034)

[53 FR 20233, June 2, 1988; 53 FR 28115, July 26, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 37645, Sept. 12, 1989]