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Lawyers'
Committee for Civil
Rights Under Law
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
Contact:
Diane Gross
202-662-8600
May
8, 2002
Federal
Lawsuit Filed Against Huntington, NY Alleging Unlawful
Housing Discrimination
Lawsuit
Challenges the Exclusion of Minority Families from
the
Greens at Half Hollow
HUNTINGTON,
NY - Today, a federal civil rights lawsuit was filed
against the Town of Huntington, NY, and a developer
on behalf of the Fair Housing in Huntington Committee,
Inc. ("FHHC"), and African-American and
white residents of the Town of Huntington, NY, by
the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
("Lawyers' Committee") and the Lawyers'
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston
Bar Association ("Boston Lawyers' Committee").
The lawsuit challenges alleged unlawful housing discrimination
on the part of Huntington and SBJ Associates, the
developer of the soon-to-be built Greens at Half Hollow.
The
lawsuit alleges that Huntington has a long history
of discriminatory housing practices that have culminated
in the exclusion of minority families from its overwhelmingly
white neighborhoods in violation of various civil
rights laws. The plaintiffs filed this lawsuit because
they believe Huntington, acting in concert with SBJ
Associates, is continuing its pattern and practice
of maintaining segregated housing in the town by excluding
affordable family housing from the Greens at Half
Hollow, which is being built on the former site of
the Long Island Developmental Center ("LIDC")
- the single largest remaining tract of
undeveloped, residentially-zoned property in Huntington.
"I
am disappointed that Huntington continues to engage
in practices that maintain racial housing segregation,"
said Bernard Peyton, President of FHHC. He expressed
great frustration at the actions of the town, adding,
"We have attempted to work with the Town of Huntington
to address the issues raised in our lawsuit to no
avail, leaving us with no choice but to file suit."
According to Peyton, "Huntington's recent actions
in issuing building permits to the developer and the
impending ground breaking made it imperative that
we take action now."
The
plaintiffs are seeking to stop Huntington’s on-going
discriminatory conduct and to require the inclusion
of affordable family housing at the Greens at Half
Hollow development. This is a particularly egregious
case where, although the LIDC site was originally
zoned for less than 200 homes, through a density bonus
the developer is being allowed to build 1,375 homes
on the site - the vast majority of which are age restricted
with the remaining non-age restricted housing starting
in the mid-$700,000's to over $1 million.
"Huntington's
persistent and continuing efforts to segregate its
housing along racial lines makes this case one of
critical importance to the Lawyers' Committee,"
stated Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive Director of the
Lawyers' Committee. "We are deeply troubled by
the potential lost opportunity to provide integrated
housing in Huntington if affordable housing is not
built at the Greens at Half Hollow."
Huntington's
housing practices have previously been found to be
discriminatory. Over a decade ago, the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that Huntington
had violated the federal Fair Housing Act by refusing
to permit the development of an affordable multi-family
housing development in one of its white areas. In
that case, Huntington was ordered to amend its zoning
laws to allow the development of the affordable housing
development. Since that time, Huntington has still
prevented the development of affordable family housing
outside of the racially impacted areas. As the Second
Circuit Court of Appeals noted, the lack of affordable
housing in Huntington disproportionately burdens minority
families. Accordingly, it is the plaintiffs' position
that Huntington’s actions to prevent and/or discourage
the development of affordable family housing outside
of the racially impacted areas, including at the soon-to-be
built Greens at Half Hollow development, maintains
and exacerbates housing segregation in Huntington,
in clear violation of various civil rights laws.
"We
cannot permit Huntington to build only luxury and
elderly housing on the last large parcel of undeveloped
residential housing land in what appears to be a clear
effort to maintain its racially segregated housing,"
said Cheryl L. Ziegler, Director of Housing and Community
Development at the Lawyers' Committee. "To do
so, would close the door on the rights of minority
families to live outside of the racially impacted
areas of Huntington," added Nadine Cohen of the
Boston Lawyers' Committee.
The
plaintiffs are also being represented in this lawsuit
by the New York office of the law firm of Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. The lawsuit,
Fair Housing in Huntington Committee, Inc., et al.,
v. Town of Huntington, NY, et al., has been filed
in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District
of New York. A
copy of the complaint can be obtained here.
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