As a result of a lawsuit, Los Angeles homeless service agencies are now mandated to house homeless people who also have service animals.
On July 15, 2009, the Housing Rights Center (HRC) filed a lawsuit charging that the emergency homeless shelter system in Los Angeles County “intentionally and blatantly” discriminated against homeless people with disabilities who use service animals. Claims were raised under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act as well as the Fair Housing Act.
“It’s a serious and systemic problem” commented Michelle Uzeta, Director of Litigation for HRC. “These shelters put people with disabilities in the impossible position of having to choose between the service animals that provide them with needed disability?related assistance and the ability to access emergency shelter services.”
Recently, a settlement occurred with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the joint city and county authority on homelessness that directs all LAHSA-funded agencies to provide reasonable modifications to their policies and facilities for homeless people with service animals.
Although some critics worry that bringing service animals into a shelter for humans could disrupt the environment, most providers would not want to intentionally turn away people with disabilities simply because they do not have facilities for their service animals.
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