Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. (HOME) and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced today that they have settled a housing discrimination case (PDF) with Hunt Investments, Walter Parks Architect, and others.
The case alleged that defendants violated the federal Fair Housing Act by failing to design and construct Shockoe Valley View apartments in compliance with accessibility requirements. The agreement settles all claims.
In addition to retrofitting the complex to be accessible for people with disabilities, the defendants also agreed to pay $600,000 in damages, costs, and attorneys’ fees. HOME and NFHA will establish a $100,000 accessibility fund to help retrofit other homes in the community.
Heather Crislip, president and CEO of HOME stated, “Everyone deserves the opportunity to choose where they want to live and to have access to all of the amenities of a housing complex. We are pleased that Shockoe Valley View Apartments will be made accessible and that this fund will provide grants to people with disabilities to make additional units accessible.”
The case was originally filed in October 2014 after an investigation by HOME and NFHA.
13 comments
RT @chpn: Discrimination case at Shockoe Valley View Apartments settled for $600,000 https://t.co/4FOI1bwVhe
RT @chpn: Discrimination case at Shockoe Valley View Apartments settled for $600,000 https://t.co/4FOI1bwVhe
Michael Grabow liked this on Facebook.
How utterly stupid can you be? So they had just no idea handicapped people exist?
Dude, dial down the hate.
Sorry. My apologies to the people involved in equal opportunity housing that was made not equal.
Mary DeVries liked this on Facebook.
Well, I live there, and they are not insensitive folks. Maybe there was some oversight, bot why pounce on an issue that’s been rectified & settled?
H.O.M.E has a long history of intrapment tactics. On the surface they seem like an honorable organization but their methods have hurt innocent people. Accessibility is clear cut. Other situations they deal with, resulting in court action, have included dubious and dishonest tactics
What wasn’t accessible? Did they just need a front ramp or what?
Alex Guzmán Rivera liked this on Facebook.
@Diana: How have they hurt innocent people?
Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia (HOME) liked this on Facebook.