Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Columbus, Indiana

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The United States has filed a lawsuit against the city of Columbus, Ind., for violating the Fair Housing Act by refusing to grant a nonprofit organization a permit to operate a group home for 11 men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, the Justice Department announced today. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, charges that the Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals refused a permit because of discriminatory attitudes toward recovering addicts among neighboring property owners.

“The Fair Housing Act guarantees individuals with disabilities the right to live
in communities of their choice. We will continue to enforce the law vigorously to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities are protected,” said Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“We must make sure that local zoning actions further fair housing and don’t impede it,” said John Trasvi