Washington, D.C. — A coalition of organizations in support of protecting fair housing in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., the housing discrimination case being argued before the U.S. Supreme Court next week, held a joint media roundtable on January 15, 2015. Representatives from organizations which filed amicus briefs, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the National Fair Housing Alliance and the American Civil Liberties Union, spoke and took questions ahead of oral arguments in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., to be held on Wednesday January 21, 2015.
Listen to audio here:
WHAT:
Civil Rights and Housing Advocates Speak About Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., Supreme Court Case
WHO:
Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.
John Relman, Managing Partner, Relman, Dane & Colfax, on behalf of the National Fair Housing Alliance
Dennis Parker, Director of Racial Justice Program, American Civil Liberties Union
WHEN:
Thursday, January 15, 10:00 a.m. ET
WHERE:
Media Roundtable at SKDKnickerbocker D.C. Office
1150 18th Street NW, Suite 800
Washington, D.C., 20036
The Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on the Fair Housing Act will test our nation’s commitment to equal treatment under the law and will determine whether equal opportunity in housing continues to be one of our most cherished values. The case focuses on Dallas, Texas, where the State of Texas approved the construction of affordable housing along racial lines. Texas reinforced residential segregation by placing most of the affordable housing in African American neighborhoods instead of fairly distributing that housing across all communities to promote integration. Ultimately, Texas allowed only 3 percent of the approved housing to be located in neighborhoods at least 70 percent white.
More than 3 million instances of housing discrimination occur each year, and the vast majority are unreported. When Americans are denied equal access to housing, it reduces the availability of good jobs, quality education, safe streets, and a clean and healthy environment, all of which are central to the American Dream. The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the legal theory underpinning the Fair Housing Act, termed “disparate impact,” that has been relied upon by Republican and Democratic Administrations to address widespread discrimination in housing for over four decades can be upheld.
This case comes at a pivotal time for racial justice. The decision in this case will not only profoundly impact the housing choices of millions of Americans of all backgrounds and shape the fabric of the neighborhoods and communities in which we live for decades to come.
