The following content section contains 3 specific case highlights.

FAIR HOUSING COUNCIL OF SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA v. TRABACCONE

In this case, the Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia (FHCSP) filed an administrative complaint with HUD against a landlord and the manager, alleging discrimination on the basis of familial status in the rental of units in an apartment building in Philadelphia. After HUD found probable cause for discrimination and filed a charge for discrimination, the FHCSP intervened. After conducting some discovery, the parties settled and entered into a consent order, which was approved by the Administrative Law Judge. Case-specific links:

CONSENT ORDER
·

GLORIA PRICE v. APARTMENT COMMUNITIES CORPORATION.

This fair housing case was brought in the Superior Court of Delaware on behalf of a tenant against one of the largest private landlords in Delaware for failing to provide her with a first floor unit due to her physical disability. The case settled for $135,000.00 immediately before trial. The Delaware Commission of Human Relations was also a co-plaintiff in the suit and was represented by the Delaware Office of the Attorney General. Case-specific links:

COMPLAINT --|-- JURY INSTRUCTIONS
·

BALTIMORE NEIGHBORHOODS, INC. v. WOODSDALE .

This fair housing case filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland challenged a private landlord's policy of failing to rent one-bedroom apartments to a single adult with one or two children. After exchanging written discovery, the parties settled for $24,500.00 and the landlord agreed to make substantial changes in the way it made units available to potential customers. Case-specific links:

COMPLAINT --|-- SETTLEMENT
·

PARKER v. GREENWAY APARTMENTS.

This case was brought on behalf of a man who lived in a 500-unit apartment complex in the southeast section of the District of Columbia called Meadow Green Court Apartments owned and managed by a Virginia company. Mr. Parker became disabled as a result of a massive stroke and asked his landlord to be transferred from a second floor unit to a first floor unit because he could not get up the fifteen stairs without scooting up on his behind.  After eighteen months of ignoring his plea, Mr. Parker and his wife sued in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Shortly after suit, the landlord transferred the Parkers to a first floor unit, and the case settled for $125,000.00. Case-specific links:

COMPLAINT --|-- PRESS RELEASE
·

BALTIMORE NEIGHBORHOODS, INC. v. MENNO HAVEN, INC. .

This case was brought on behalf of a fair housing group and two African American home seekers against Menno Haven, a Chambersburg, Pennsylvania based senior housing facility, alleging racial bias in advertising, especially with regard to the use of all-white models used in commercials on television networks broadcasting in the Baltimore region and suburbs.  The complaint was settled in June 2005.  Menno Haven denied any intent to discriminate and offered a contribution of $100,000.00 to BNI to further its fair housing work.  This amount also included $3000 to each of the two individual home seekers. Case-specific links:

PRESS RELEASE
·

BALTIMORE NEIGHBORHOODS, INC. v. RICHARDS GROUP OF WASHINGTON.

This case was brought on behalf of a person using a wheelchair and a fair housing group against a residential developer for violations of the multi-family accessibility provisions of the Fair Housing Act.   The developer had plans to build an extensive condominium complex that would have had steps leading to the front entrances and level sidewalks leading from the rear of each unit, which were to be built upon request.   After the suit was filed, the parties negotiated a settlement in which the developer agreed to make all front entrances and mailbox clusters accessible as well as the sales office and to pay an undisclosed monetary amount.   The case is important because it establishes the principle that people with disabilities must have equal access, and it is unacceptable to be relegated to the back door. Case-specific links:

COMPLAINT --|-- CONSENT ORDER --|-- NEWS ITEM
·

BALTIMORE NEIGHBORHOODS, INC. v. PARK RAVEN APARTMENTS.

In this case, a mother of a five year old child and a fair housing group challenged an apartment complex’ policy of steering families with children to particular units under the familial status provisions of the Fair Housing Act.  After the complaint was filed, a settlement was achieved.  Under the settlement, the apartment complex agreed to reform its policies and to pay damages.   This case helped open up housing opportunities to families with children and to educate the public about this aspect of the fair housing laws. Case-specific links:

COMPLAINT--|-- NEWS ITEM
·

GREENVILLE-HISTORIC COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION v. PROJECT CARE.

In this case, a well-established Episcopal church created an organization named Project Care to open and run a group home for people with AIDS in an historic district of Greenville, South Carolina.  The neighborhood got upset and sued Project Care and certain federal and state agencies to try to stop the government from funding the project, invoking federal environmental laws protecting against toxic waste in residential neighborhoods.   The federal court threw out the neighbors' complaint for lack of jurisdiction.   Shortly thereafter,  the neighbors sued Project Care in state court (which is across the street from the federal courthouse)  alleging that Project Care was violating local zoning laws.  The state court threw out the neighbors' complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be granted.  The case is an example of how a neighborhood can frustrate important charitable goals. Even well-established institutions are not immune from challenge by those who exhibit ignorance and animus toward people with disabilities.