1994

1994 issues of The Advocate

Baltimore Apartments Made Accessible; Plaintiffs Paid $65,000 in Settlement

Baltimore Neighborhoods, Inc. (BNI) settled a ground-breaking lawsuit involving handicap discrimination when a major real estate developer agreed to pay $65,000 to make significant changes in one development, and to guarantee access for disabled people in its future developments.

BNI had filed suit against a Timonium MD, based developer who was constructing a large apartment complex without providing access for the disabled, as required by the Fair Housing Act of 1988.

HUD ALJ Chaitovitz Awards $28,500 In Mississippi Race Case

HUD Administrative Law Judge Samuel A. Chaitovitz has found racial discrimination by the all-white Veranda Apartments of Jackson, Mississippi and ordered payments of $28,500. The ALJ held a hearing in Jackson January 11 and 12, and issued a decision June 2.

He found discrimination against the complainant, Earsell Collier, Jr., a Black sales manager for Kraft Food Services. He had served as a Second Lieutenant in the Desert Storm Operation and is now a Captain in the Army Reserve.

Mr.

Marin Fair Housing Settles Two Family Cases For $20,750

The Marin Fair Housing Program in California has settled two family discrimination cases for a total of $20,750. The owners of the Pines Apartments, a San Rafael, rental property, agreed to pay $17,500 in April to settle a housing discrimination suit alleging child discrimination, according to Nancy Kenyon, Director of the Fair Housing Program of the Marin Housing Center.

Fair Housing Advocate funded for 18 months; circulation doubles from 5,000 to 10,000

HUD has re-funded the National Fair Housing Advocate for 18 months. The new grant includes doubling the circulation from 5,000 to 10,000. Much of the added circulation will be to the real estate industry and to accessibility groups, but more new fair housing names will also be added.

Please aid this effort by sending us additional names by mail or fax (rather than by phone). Send us case reports of housing case settlements to remind people of the problem of discrimination and the solutions.

Buffalo: HOME settles for record amount in "Code 2" case

by Sharon J. Pigman

Under the terms of an order signed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara, landlords James and Virginia Wild of Maple Road in Williamsville will pay HOME $22,000 to settle a federal housing discrimination lawsuit. The settlement is the largest ever recorded in a Western New York housing discrimination case.

A "pattern and practice" of discrimination

Filed in July of 1993 by HOME cooperating attorney Dan D.

Native American Rental Case Settled for $65,000 By Justice Dept. and Montana Concerned Citizens

A case alleging rental discrimination against American Indians has been settled by the Justice Department and the Concerned Citizens Coalition (CCC) for $65,000. U.S. District Court Judge Jack D. Shanstrom signed a Consent Order in June. It had been agreed to by the parties including Gilda Little Bird, and John Bull Shows versus Richard E. Lee and Donald R. Lee, Sr.

Atlanta Metro Settles Race Discrimination Suit for $140,000

Metro Fair Housing Services, along with five other named plaintiffs, has settled a race discrimination suit against Redland Crest Apartments in Lawrenceville, Georgia for $140,000.  Joe Shifalo, Executive Director of Metro, a private, non-profit fair housing agency in Atlanta, said: "'This is the largest monetary settlement during my tenure at Metro and in the entire history of Metro, I believe."

Plaintiffs Gloria Balcacer, Timothy Bright, Michelle Bright and Ashford Williams each received $17,000. Lisa Betts received $25,000, and Metro got $3,500.

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