What are your rights if DHCD denies your reasonable accommodation request?
The DHCD local office should give you a written decision on your request for reasonable accommodation no later than 30 days from your request. If the local office denies your request in whole or in part, you can ask for reconsideration from the DHCD Central Office Accommodation Appeal Committee by filling out the back of the form and giving it to your worker. Ask your worker to give you a copy of the completed form.
If the DHCD Central Office Accommodation Appeal Committee denies your request for accommodation in whole or in part or does not make a decision in 10 days from your request for a decision, you can request a fair hearing by faxing or mailing a copy of an appeal request to the Division of Hearings. See What are your emergency assistance notice and appeal rights?
Advocacy Tips
- If you did not get a denial from the Central Office Accommodation Appeal Committee, you may need to ask your DHCD worker for a copy of an appeal form.
- Try to get a legal advocate to help you with your request for reconsideration and your appeal. See a list of legal services offices.
Produced by Ruth Bourquin, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Created September, 2009
