Federal authorities have uncovered a shocking case of housing discrimination in the city of San Jacinto, California, involving the targeting of residents with disabilities by local officials.
The Justice Department today announced a settlement with the city of San Jacinto, California, that resolves a lawsuit alleging disability discrimination filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Under the settlement, San Jacinto has changed its laws to comply with the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
According to the complaint, filed in November 2012, San Jacinto officials enacted an ordinance intended to exclude unlicensed and some licensed homes for persons with disabilities from the city, and by targeting homes for persons with disabilities for enforcement of the ordinance and other local laws.
Municipalities and other governmental entities cannot violate federal civil rights statutes by hiding behind intentionally discriminatory laws designed to appear neutral on their face, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division.
The city’s enforcement efforts included an early morning sweep of unlicensed group homes for persons with disabilities by city officials in November 2008, including the city attorney and representatives of the city’s Code Enforcement and Public Works Departments, as well as armed and uniformed law enforcement officers of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department acting as agents for the city.
As part of the agreement, the city adopted an ordinance that ensures equal treatment for housing for persons with disabilities and prohibits restrictions on housing for persons with disabilities that are not imposed on housing for an equal or greater number of persons without disabilities. The city will also pay a total of $746,599 in compensatory damages to housing providers and former residents with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Dave Ziaya added, Federal laws protect the fair housing rights of all people, and no local zoning or harassment can change that.
The case arose as a result of complaints filed with HUD by two providers of housing for persons with disabilities in the city. HUD investigated the complaints and referred them to the Justice Department, which conducted an investigation pursuant to the Attorney General’s independent authority under the FHA and the ADA.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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