In a case that has been percolating for over 14 years, the federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals concluded last month that the Village of Garden City, New York engaged in racial discrimination in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) as a result of unlawful zoning practices.  The Second Circuit’s decision came in

In Ave. 6E Invs., LLC v. City of Yuma, decided last week, the Ninth Circuit considered whether a local government’s refusal to grant a rezoning request that would have allowed higher-density residential development violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA).  This case is one of the most significant cases since last summer’s Supreme Court decision in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project to address issues of disparate impact and discriminatory intent under the FHA.
Continue Reading Ninth Circuit: Local Government’s Denial of Rezoning May Violate Fair Housing Act

Only a few weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision upholding disparate impact as basis for liability under the Fair Housing Act (the Act; for further discussion of the case, see our blog posts here and here), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) promulgated a new rule implementing the Act.
Continue Reading Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: HUD Promulgates Final Rule

In a 5-4 decision in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the use of disparate impact analysis in Fair Housing Act claims.
Continue Reading Disparate Impact Liability Survives U.S. Supreme Court Review

When resolving the question of whether disparate impact is a proper theory on which to bring a Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) claim, the third time may be the charm.  Last year, we reported on Township of Mount Holly v. Mount Holly Gardens Citizens in Action, which was the second Supreme Court case in