Housing Feds, County Housing Authority Settle Discrimination Suit Alleging Failure To Increase Access To Dwelling Units For Persons With Disabilities, Families With Kids Under 18

From the Department of Housing and Urban Development:

• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced [] that it has reached a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with the Jackson County Housing Authority (JCHA) in Murphysboro, Illinois, to increase access for persons with disabilities and families with children under age 18.
  
  HUD reviewed JCHA’s housing programs and services and determined that the housing authority had not ensured that at least five percent of its units were accessible to persons with disabilities, as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The review further indicated that JCHA had not allowed children under the age of 18 to reside in housing designated for elderly families, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
  
  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Under Section 504, a public housing authority must make a minimum of five percent of its total dwelling units accessible to persons with mobility impairments.
  
  The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination against families with children under 18 years of age. Public housing or federally assisted housing for the elderly is not exempt from the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition against familial status discrimination.

For the HUD press release, see HUD And Jackson County Housing Authority Reach Agreement To Ensure Equal Housing Opportunities For Persons With Disabilities And Families With Children.