Housing Accommodations

Housing Accommodations

The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) and the University Housing Program work together to provide disability-related housing accommodations to students with verified disabilities.  If you would like to be considered for disability-related housing accommodation, please review the procedure located below. 

Procedure for Requesting Housing Accommodation(s): 

  1. Apply for Housing on the Student Housing website
  2. Complete the DPRC registration process found on the For Students page
  3. Obtain disability documentation found on the For Students page
  4. Schedule an Initial appointment to meet with DPRC specialist at (415) 338-2472 to discuss your accommodation request. Accommodation requests are processed in the order they are received. 
  5. Your request will be reviewed by the Housing Accommodation Committee. You will receive a notification by email of the Committee's decision.  
  6. Approved reasonable accommodations are based on disability for Housing and are valid for one academic year. You may request reasonable accommodations based on disability for Student Housing each year. 
  7.  Actual placement is dependent on space availability and where you are on the housing waitlist. We strongly encourage early requests 

Please note: 

  • Students must have applied for SFSU University Housing via the Student Housing website. 
  • Students must be eligible for university-owned housing and meet deadlines and payments as established by Student Housing. If you are concerned about your housing eligibility, please consult the office of Student Housing. 
  • Housing accommodation is based on a documented disability need and is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 

Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

Students must: 

  1. Start by completing the on campus housing application on Student Housing website
  2. Provide appropriate documentation, see Documentation Guidelines
  3. ESAs must not be brought to campus prior to approval.  
    • Approval will be on a yearly basis; a request must be submitted each academic year with recent (within the last 30 days) disability documentation. 

If the ESA is not a commonly kept household animal (dog, cat, small bird, rabbit, hamster, gerbil, other rodent, fish, turtle, or other small, domesticated animal that is traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes), students must also have their treating professional provide the following additional information: 

  • The date of the last consultation with the student,  
  • Any unique circumstances justifying the student’s need for the particular animal (if already owned or identified by the individual) or particular type of animal(s), and  
  • Whether the treating professional has reliable information about this specific animal or whether they specifically recommended this type of animal.  
  • Note: reptiles (other than turtles), barnyard animals, monkeys, kangaroos and other non-domesticated animals are not considered common household animals. 

Denial of a request for an ESA may be based on: 

  •  Insufficient documentation of disability, or of the need for an emotional support animal as an accommodation in the context requested. 
  • Issues related to zoonosis.  
  • Problems maintaining a sterile field. 
  • Demonstrated behavioral concerns.  

Documentation from the Internet  

Some websites sell certificates, registrations and licensing documents for emotional support animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. Form letters that do not provide differentiating information about the student’s personal disability experience, or letters that are generated as a result of a single, remote evaluation solely for the purpose of recommending an ESA are not considered adequate documentation.