Printing - FECA-PT2 - National Association of Letter Carriers

2-1800-7 Housing Modifications for Renters
7. Housing Modifications for Renters.
a. General Criteria. The status of renter includes claimants who are or were living with
parents or other family members at the time the work injury occurred. Modifications to rental
property must be approved by the property owner. A signed agreement is required which
acknowledges that the modifications are being paid for because the property owner has agreed to
house the claimant and further acknowledges the property owner’s reimbursement responsibilities
to OWCP.
No housing modification should be undertaken without this kind of signed agreement that specifies
the nature of the modification and the claimant’s, as well as the home owner’s or apartment
owner’s, responsibilities and obligations under the agreement. See Exhibit 3 or 4 depending on
whether the claimant is renting or living with a family member.
Many of the criteria outlined in paragraph 6 for home owners apply also to claimants
who rent housing. A few specific criteria for renters are below:
(1) In a rental property, all modifications proposed must be recommended by a
physiatrist or other medical specialist appropriate to the accepted employment condition,
just as in a property owned by the claimant. The proposal must be reviewed by the CE and
approved as necessary and desirable for increased mobility or independence.
(2) If the claimant lives in rented premises, a statement from the property owner
authorizing the proposed changes should be included in the proposal. This includes a
situation in which the claimant is living in a parent’s or other relative’s home. OWCP should
conduct a conference with the landlord to assess the level of commitment to continue
renting to the injured worker after the modifications are accomplished. There should be
some level of assurance that the landlord will continue to rent the modified property to the
injured worker for an extended period of time considering the extent and cost of the
modifications.
(3) If the claimant is renting and the owner of the property will not permit necessary
modifications, other living arrangements may be subsidized, such
as paying moving expenses to other rented quarters as comparable as possible to the
present residence. OWCP should also pay any difference in rent. However, a claimant who
is renting his or her living quarters should not
expect any assistance from OWCP for purchasing or constructing a new house.
(4) Modifications to an apartment must be in keeping with the standard of the decor of
the current or pre-injury apartment accoutrements. For example, if the claimant's
apartment has two sinks in the master bath and the claimant needs a special sink for
wheelchair access, both sinks will be replaced or modified in order to preserve the
symmetry of the room. If the tile in the bathrooms or kitchen needs to be replaced in order
to accomplish the proposed modification, the new tile should be of a quality equal to that
which must be replaced.
On the other hand, just as in a privately-owned residence, cost-effectiveness and
FECA-PT2 Printed: 06/08/2010 725