The council of the city of Sacramento finds as follows:
A. The housing element of the city's general plan identifies housing that is accessible to people with disabilities as a special housing need.
B. The housing element calls for a reasonable accommodation ordinance that streamlines and formalizes city procedures related to accessibility and adaptability accommodations for development.
C. Both the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Gov. Code section 12900 et seq.) ("the Acts") impose an affirmative duty on local governments to make reasonable accommodation (modifications or exceptions) in their rules, policies, practices, or services related to land use regulation when such accommodation may be necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to housing.
D. The city of Sacramento has historically provided for reasonable accommodation consistent with the Acts through the use of existing regulatory procedures not specifically designed for people with disabilities.
E. Codification of a formal procedure for individuals with disabilities seeking equal access to housing to request reasonable accommodation in the application of the city's land use and zoning standards, regulations, policies, and procedures and establishment of relevant criteria to be used when considering such requests will ensure prompt, fair, and efficient handling of such requests in accordance with the Acts' reasonable accommodation mandates. (Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)