Court Blocks City Housing Plan as Discriminatory

Individuals and community organizations sued under the Fair Housing Act to challenge approval of proposed residential development of a former industrial area. They asked for a preliminary injunction, claiming that the plan would have a discriminatory effect on African-American and Hispanic residents. The court granted the injunction, finding that the proposed plan would perpetuate segregation by favoring white and Hasidic residents over blacks and Hispanics. The planned dwelling configurations called for three- or four-bedroom units, tending to favor Hasidic Jews with larger families. The proposed buildings also would be limited to six or seven stories to better accommodate Hasidic Jews who don't use elevators on the Sabbath. Census data showed that 75 percent of blacks living in the area needed smaller apartments than those proposed. The area where the housing was planned was mostly white and Hasidic. The court found that the city had failed to analyze its proposal to ensure that it was nondiscriminatory.

Broadway Triangle Community Coalition v. Bloomberg: 2011 NY Slip Op 21465, 2011 WL 6942920 (Sup. Ct. NY; 12/23/11; Goodman, J)