By Murray Wennerlund published 10-21-2022 updated 10-21-2022
"504/ADA allowances can be found in Appendix C".
Before you close on your grant agreement you must have all of your costs for your Manufactured Home Unit (MHU) documented in your purchase agreement with your MHU dealer. Do not leave anything to guess, spell things out clearly of what ADA accommodations you need and ordered. From non-slip flooring to hand rails and ramps, you must have them in your purchase agreement or the program will cause a delay in your payment.
If you forget something after the fact or your dealer has ADA items that are an add-on you can request an exceptions review for the upgrades and the program may actually cover the payment. But, it takes less effort to get everything done the first round than to ask for funds after your final grant signing.
Your MHU Dealers Purchase Agreement must include the final costs of
Elevation is one of the most important parts of your installation. When you discuss the costs with your MHU dealer be sure you determine the base flood elevation of your MHU location. Take into account any area flooding even if your zone is a zone X. HUD requires everyone in a zone A to elevate to Base Flood Elevation (BFE) plus 2 feet above that mark. Be sure you understand that the program will find you ineligible if your elevation survey from lowest finished floor is below BFE + 2 feet.
Tip: I recommend that you elevate to 3 feet above BFE based on the standards of FEMA's Flood Risk Management 2.0 program that appears to reference 3 feet above BFE as it's best discount level. Be sure to check with your flood insurance agent what would be offered under the new pricing guidelines from FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Interior and exterior 504 / ADA accommodations.
After you have selected the MHU that you would like to upgrade to ask the dealer to provide you a list of all ADA accommodations they can offer you in the package. Some items will delay delivery if not typically in stock but be sure you get what you need so you don't have regrets later. Temporary housing assistance is available to you for up to 22 months after the disaster event and with exceptions you could go as long as it takes to get your new MHU configured and installed the way you need it.
Driveways With 504 Consideration (page 133, RLHP Manual)
If the Applicant has mobility issues as described by the ADA request form, a concrete parking pad, sidewalk to the ramp or concrete access to the lift will be required in addition to the installed aggregate, not to exceed $4,500.00 in total.
The concrete parking pad shall be either of the two options below with the larger of the two being selected unless prohibited by setbacks or other site related conditions:
Remaining aggregate driveway shall be requested at an amount of $20 per linear foot.
Example 1: The project requires a 100 foot driveway and a standard vehicle parking pad. The associated cost for aggregate installation with parking pad is (100’ X $20) + $1,700.00 = $3,700.00. The difference of $800.00 shall be submitted as a DCO as the reconstruction cap of $4,500.00 was not exceeded.
Example 2: The project requires a 300 foot driveway and a standard vehicle parking pad. The associated cost is (300’ X $20) + $1,700.00 = $7,700.00. The difference of $3,200.00 shall be submitted for upper management approval as the reconstruction cap of $4,500.00 was exceeded.
504/ADA allowances not included in Program Allowances:
For Stick Built &; Manufactured Homes
The figures above are a capped allowance. The state program will pay the lesser of the program cap or the applicant’s invoiced price for any 504/ADA related additional accommodations that were not standard in the MHU package from the MHU dealer.
Research Resource: