On December 10, 2014, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in federal court against Southeastern Community and Family Services, Inc. (formerly Four-County Community Services, Inc.), and two of its employees alleging repeated acts of sexual harassment. Southeastern Community and Family Services is a public housing agency that administers the Section 8 voucher program …
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Training to Cover Fair Housing Accessibility Requirements
On January 29, 2015, the Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina, in conjunction with several co-sponsors, will be offering a day-long training covering the design and construction requirements under federal and state law for building accessible multifamily housing. The event, which will include a trainer from HUD’s Fair Housing Accessibility First program …
HUD Awards Legal Aid $325,000 for Fair Housing Enforcement Work in NC
On October 15, 2014, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that Legal Aid of North Carolina had been awarded a $325,000 Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI) grant to support its work in the coming year. The award will support Legal Aid ‘s Fair Housing Project, which was launched in 2011. The Fair Housing Project fights housing …
Settlement of Royal Oak Concerned Citizens Assn, et al. v. Brunswick County Lawsuit
The Royal Oak Concerned Citizens Association case against Brunswick County was resolved on June 16, 2014 with the County’s approval of the settlement agreement. See the Star News article from June 18, 2014 for more information about the settlement. The UNC Center for Civil Rights initiated the lawsuit in Brunswick County Superior Court in June …
Court Allows Justice Dept. Discrimination Case Against NC Landlord to Proceed
On August 13, 2014, United States District Court Judge Louise Flanagan refused to dismiss a lawsuit alleging a Washington, NC, landlord with racial discrimination. The lawsuit, brought by the U.S. Department of Justice in September 2012, alleges that William I. Cochran, III, and several entities that he is affiliated with discriminated against African American tenants over …
United Nations Panel Calls for U.S. Gov’t to Address Housing Discrimination
On August 29, 2014, the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued a report calling on the United States government to take further steps to address housing discrimination in the nation. The report, which was based on submissions that the U.S. government made to the panel in August 2014, looked at a number of areas …
FH Project Seeks Restraining Order for Victims of Sexual Extortion
On June 30, 2014, Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Fair Housing Project and Greensboro attorney Craig Hensel filed a motion asking a U.S. district court to prevent a nonprofit housing group from retaliating against eight women who say the group’s employees extorted sex in exchange for facilitating their participation in a federal housing subsidy program. Legal …
Pinehurst Settles Discrimination Case Over Affordable Housing
On June 4, 2014, the Village of Pinehurst agreed to settle a fair housing discrimination claim brought by developers and residents over the Village’s refusal to allow an affordable housing project to be developed for senior citizens. As part of the settlement, the Village will agree to make the zoning changes necessary for the 56-unit development …
15th Anniversary of Olmsted Decision
Fifteen years ago this month — on June 22, 1999 — the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the case of Olmstead v. L.C. (“Olmsted“), finding that the unjustified segregation of persons with disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark Supreme Court decision requires states …
Rhode Island City Sues Santander Bank for Redlining
On May 29, 2014, the City of Providence, Rhode Island, filed a lawsuit in federal court against Santander Bank, N.A., accusing the bank of discrimination in mortgage lending. The City alleges that since 2009, Santander has deliberately discriminated by refusing to make prime mortgage loans available in minority neighborhoods, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. Since it …