Time with IX/Talking BITs: Emotional Support Animals: What Changed, What Didn’t, and What Schools Must Decide Now
January 29, 2026 | 2:00pm-3:30pm ET
Presenters: Saunie Schuster & Linda Abbott
Colleges and universities across the country are hearing that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) no longer requires emotional support animals (ESAs) in campus housing. However, for institutionally owned and operated residence halls, this statement is incomplete and potentially misleading.In 2025, HUD rescinded longstanding sub-regulatory guidance on assistance animals, including ESAs. This has created uncertainty for professionals in residence life, disability services, Title IX, and campus legal counsel, particularly where Fair Housing Act (FHA) requirements intersect with ADA service animal regulations.This joint ATIXA and NABITA session offers practical guidance on what HUD’s withdrawal means, which legal obligations still apply to campus housing, and how institutions can design ESA policies that are defensible, humane, and workable in the absence of prescriptive federal guidance.Rather than promoting a single approach, this session equips institutions with the analytical tools needed to make informed, context-specific decisions grounded in risk management, student equity, and operational practicality.