4910.1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

CHAPTER 1 GENERAL USE

100
APPLICATION\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--
1-3

100-1 Proposed Construction
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-3

100-2 Housing for the Elderly
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-3

100-3 Requirements for Accessibility to

Physically Disabled People \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-9

100-4 Requirements for Care Type Facilities \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-10

100-5 Existing Construction
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-10

101 VARIATIONS TO STANDARDS
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-11

101-1 New Materials and Technologies
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-11

101-2 Special Conditions
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-11

101-3 Variation Procedures
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-11

102 LOCAL CODES AND
REGULATIONS\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-12

102-1 Codes as Standards
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-12

102-2 Compliance with Codes
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-12

103 REFERENCED STANDARDS
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- 1-12

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4910.1

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL USE

100 APPLICATION

100-1 PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION

General

These Minimum Property Standards apply to buildings and

sites designed and used for normal multifamily and

care-type occupancy, including both unsubsidized and

subsidized insured housing. The requirement of

compliance with these standards under specific programs

administered by the Department is prescribed in program

regulations promulgated by the Department. Generally,

these standards regulate the nature and quality of the

property within its property lines. However, some

standards require certain off-site conditions. See, for

example, 204-1, which requires street access to the

property.

100-2 HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY

This Section includes Uniform Federal Accessibility

Standards (UFAS) at 24 CFR Part 40, Appendix A and

variations, additions and exceptions to the MPS for the

above types of housing, when housing is to be for the

elderly.

The number of accessible housing units which must be

built will be determined on a project-by-project basis in

accordance with the requirements of the program under

which the project is to be built. Accessible housing

units shall also meet all the facility accessibility

requirements of UFAS.

100-2.1 Handrails

Handrails for exterior steps not attached to dwellings

shall be provided in accordance with UFAS on both sides

of a tenant stairway with a flight rise exceeding 24\" and

width exceeding 4 ft., and on one side when the width is

4 ft. or less.

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4910.1

100-2.1 HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY - Continued

100-2.2 Walks

Walks designed for use by tenants shall have maximum

gradients of five percent.

100-2.3 Community Social Rooms

Community social rooms are required in housing for the

elderly.

100-2.4 Optional Project Facilities

Where the following facilities are provided, they shall

comply with the following:

\(a\) Occupational or Physical Therapy - Space shall be

provided for services and for storage of equipment.

\(b\) Dietitian\'s Office - When a dietitian is to be

employed, suitable office space convenient to the

kitchen shall be provided.

\(c\) First Aid or Health Room - These facilities and any

accompanying infirmary shall be designed for

observation, minor treatment, or short term care of

project residents. When these services are

provided, facilities for an attending nurse are

required.

\(d\) Nursing Facilities - These facilities for either

short-term or long-term care for project residents

shall be as follows:

\(1\) If nursing facilities are not provided at the

time of construction, residential units may be

specially designed for conversion to nursing

facilities at a later date.

\(2\) Facilities shall be grouped in a separate

wing, floor or auxiliary building.

\(3\) The nursing unit and patient rooms shall

comply with requirements of UFAS.

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4910.1

100-2 HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY - Continued

\(4\) The nursing portion of the project shall be

clearly incidental to the purpose of providing

housing, and the ratio of nursing beds to

living units shall not exceed 1 to 4.

\(e\) Medical Facilities - Where a doctor\'s office with

examination and treatment rooms is provided, it

shall be designed to serve project residents.

Spaces provided for rental to doctors, dentists,

oculists, opticians, etc., shall be within the

limits of allowable commercial space and located so

as not to interfere with the residential space.

\(f\) Central Dining - Where mandated by the program

requirements, space shall be provided for meals.

\(g\) Central Kitchen Facilities - The kitchen shall be

arranged and equipped for adequate and efficient:

food storage; preparation in proper sequence;

serving; dish and utensil cleaning and storage; and

refuse storage and removal. In projects consisting

of 20 or more living units, the dishwashing

activity shall be separated from that of food

preparation. All cabinets and equipment provided

shall be designed and installed to prevent

contamination by insects, rodents, other vermin,

splash, dust and overhead leakage.

\(h\) Central Bathing Facilities - Such facilities shall

be located on the same floor and close to the

living units served.

When provided, a central bathroom shall

contain:

\(1\) Space for dressing and the movement of

wheelchairs provided in accordance with

the requirements of UFAS, Section 4.

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4910.1

100-2 HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY - Continued

\(2\) Adequate lavatories and compartmented

water closets. Enclosure of water

closets is not required when the water

closet is within a room used by only one

bather. Designs in which a bather must

enter the public corridor to reach a

water closet are not acceptable.

100-2.5 Bedrooms

a\. Beds shall be accessible from two sides and

one end.

b\. Combined living-sleeping space shall be of

sufficient size to accommodate the living and

sleeping functions as conveniently as separate

living and sleeping areas.

100-2.6 Bathrooms

a\. Bathtubs shall be provided with grab bars as

specified in Section 4.26 of the UFAS.

b\. A stall shower, when installed, shall meet the

requirements of the UFAS Section 4.21, Shower

Stalls.

c\. Tub or shower bottom surfaces shall be slip

resistant.

d\. Grab bars and shower seats shall be installed

to sustain a dead weight of 250 pounds for 5

minutes and comply with UFAS.

100-2.7 Halls and Corridors

a\. Minimum clear widths of public halls and

corridors shall be 5\'-0\".

b\. Handrails complying with UFAS shall be

provided on at least one side of all tenant

corridors, except in living units.

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4910.1

100-2 HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY - Continued

100-2.8 Stairs

The maximum riser height for stairs is 7\".

100-2.9 Elevators

a\. Elevators complying with UFAS shall be provided in

buildings of three or more stories; or two stories

if any accessible living unit is located on a floor

which does not have all common facilities.

b\. At least one elevator car in each building shall be

suitable for handling ambulance stretchers and have

a minimum capacity of 2500 lbs. and minimum size

as required for service elevator under 614-1.

100-2.10 Emergency Lighting

Emergency lighting shall be provided for every public

space, corridor, stairway, elevator and other means of

egress. The lighting shall provide a minimum of 1

footcandle measured at the floor.

100-2.11 Flame Spread

The flame spread rating of walls and ceiling shall not

exceed 75.

100-2.12 Wall Finishes

Abrasive wall finishes such as a sand finish shall not be

used.

100-2.13 Floors

a\. Floors shall be slip-resistant.

b\. Adjacent dissimilar materials shall be flush with

each other to provide an unbroken surface.

Thresholds and Expansion Joint covers shall be

flush with the floor.

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4910.1

100-2 HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY - Continued

100-2.14 Heat Loss Calculations

The inside design temperature shall not be less than 75

F in all habitable rooms and corridors when the outside

temperature is at design level. Lower inside design

temperatures may be used for storage rooms, work rooms,

offices and other similar spaces.

100-2.15 Hot Water and Steam Heating Systems

Heating systems serving 10 or more living units shall be

supplied by not less than two properly parallel connected

boilers. The minimum net capacity of each boiler shall

be 70% of the total connected load when two boilers are

used and 35% when three boilers are used. When four or

more boilers are used, the total capacity of all boilers

shall not be less than the total connected load, and each

boiler shall have the same net capacity. When the

property contains nursing facilities, 1 1/2 beds shall be

considered the equivalent of one living unit for purposes

of this requirement.

100-2.16 Hot and cold water shall be supplied to all plumbing

fixtures except water closets, urinals, bedpan washers,

and drinking fountains, each of which will be supplied

with cold water only.

100-2.17 Automatic temperature limit controls shall be provided so

that hot water for showers will not exceed 110 F.

100-2.18 The quantity of hot water for personal use and the

capacity of the domestic hot water heating equipment

system shall be in compliance with the design criteria of

ASHRAE Systems Handbook, 1980, Chapter \"Service Water

Heating.\"

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4910.1

100-2 HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY - Continued

100-2.19 Night Light

A convenience outlet for receiving a night light shall be

provided approximately 2 ft. above the floor between the

bed location and the bathroom.

100-2.20 Emergency Call Systems

In projects containing 20 or more living units, each

bathroom and one bed location in each living unit shall

be furnished with one of the following emergency call

systems: an emergency call system which registers a call

(annunciator and alarm) at one or more central supervised

locations, an intercommunicating telephone system

connected to a switchboard which is monitored 24 hrs a

day, or an emergency call system which sounds an alarm

(not the fire alarm) in the immediate corridor and

automatically actuates a visual signal in the corridor at

the living unit entrance.

100-3 REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSIBILITY TO PHYSICALLY

DISABLED PEOPLE

All multifamily dwellings covered by the Fair Housing

Amendments Act of 1988, for first occupancy after March

13, 1991 must be designed and constructed to have at

least one building entrance on an accessible route and

shall be designed and constructed in such a manner that:

100-3.1 The public and common use areas are readily accessible to

and usable by disabled persons;

100-3.2 All the doors designed to allow passage into and within

all premises are sufficiently wide to allow passage by

disabled persons in wheelchairs; and

100-3.3 All premises within covered multifamily dwelling units

contain the following features of adaptable design:

a\. An accessible route into and through the covered

dwelling unit;

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4910.1

100-3 REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSIBILITY TO PHYSICALLY

DISABLED PEOPLE - Continued

b\. Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and

other environmental controls in accessible

locations;

c\. Reinforcements in bathroom walls to allow later

installation of grab bars around the toilet, tub

shower, stall and shower seat, where such

facilities are provided; and

d\. Usable kitchens and bathrooms such that an

individual in a wheelchair can maneuver about the

space.

100-3.4 One method of compliance with these requirements is

satisfactory compliance with the Fair Housing

Accessibility Guidelines 24 CFR Ch.I, Subch. A. App. II

and III.

100-3.5 For multifamily dwelling covered by this section see 24

CFR 100.201.

100-4 REQUIREMENTS FOR CARE TYPE FACILITIES

100-4.1 Construction

Care Type Facilities shall comply with requirements of

The Guidelines for Construction and Equipment of

Hospitals and Medical Facilities as published by the AIA

press, 1987 edition.

100-4.2 Housing Units and Patient Rooms

At least 50 percent of living units, patient rooms or

bedrooms and associated facilities shall comply with the

requirements of UFAS.

100-5 REHABILITATION CONSTRUCTION

Rehabilitation construction includes the following

categories: (1) all repairs to or replacement of present

elements of an existing building, such as windows,

stairs, flooring, or wiring; (2) rearrangement of rooms

by the relocation of partitions or by the installation of

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4910.1

100-5 REHABILITATION CONSTRUCTION - Continued

new bathrooms and kitchens; or (3) the general

replacement of the interior of a building. This may or

may not include changes to structural elements such as

floor systems, columns or load bearing interior or

exterior walls. Rehabilitation construction shall comply

with the standards for new construction and with the

provisions of the program handbook for the particular

program. New construction on cleared or vacant land or

additions to an existing building which enlarge the floor

area or height of the building shall meet the standards

for new construction.

101 VARIATIONS TO STANDARDS

101-1 NEW MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES

These standards are intended to encourage the use of new

or innovative technologies, methods and materials. See

Subchapter 613 of this handbook. Alternatives and

non-conventional or innovative methods and materials shall be

equivalent to these standards in the areas of quality,

durability, economy of maintenance, operation and

usability.

101-2 SPECIAL CONDITIONS

Certain conditions in the geographic area or on the site

may justify modification of specific standards, or make

compliance with the standards impracticable or

impossible. In these cases, variations in accordance

with procedures given in 101-3 may be permitted.

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4910.1

101-3 VARIATION PROCEDURES

101-3.1 Variations from the requirements of any standard with

which the Department requires compliance shall be made in

the following ways:

a\. For a particular design or construction proposed to

be used on a non-repetitive basis for a specific

case or project, the decision is the responsibility

of the Field Office. Headquarters concurrence is

not required.

b\. Where a variation is intended to be on a repetitive

basis, a recommendation for a Local Acceptable

Standard, substantiating data, and background

information shall be submitted by the Field Office

to the Headquarters Office responsible for the

Minimum Property Standards.

101-3.2 Variations which require individual analysis and decision

in each instance are not considered as repetitive

variations even though one particular standard is

repeatedly the subject of variation. Such variations are

covered by the subject of Section 101-3.1a.

102 LOCAL CODES AND REGULATIONS

102-1 CODES AS STANDARDS

Acceptability of new construction for insurance or for

utilization in other programs administered by the

Department requires, among other things, compliance with

minimum health and safety criteria. The Minimum Property

Standards for Housing consist of the standards contained

in and referenced by this handbook and the codes and

standards with which compliance is required by 24 CFR

200.925 and .926. The relevant portions of 24 CFR

200.925 and .926 are reproduced in Appendix I and K of

this handbook.

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4910.1

102-1.1 COMPLIANCE WITH CODES

The Department of Housing and Urban Development does not

assume responsibility for enforcing or determining

compliance with local codes and regulations or for making

interpretations regarding their application for purposes

of the local government. However, if compliance with the

provisions of a local code is required in accordance with

24 CFR 200.925 or .926, then the Department is

responsible for determining compliance and issuing

interpretations for the Department\'s purposes.

103 REFERENCED STANDARDS

These standards must be used in conjunction with the

information or requirements listed in Appendices A

through I, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Compliance with these standards and the requirements in

the appendices does not obviate the need for compliance

with any other applicable Federal, State or local

requirements.

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