The Illinois Times recently profiled Kennedy Hunt P.C’s favorable ruling in a years-long Fair Housing battle against the City of Springfield, Illinois.
On December 5, 2023, United States District Court for the Central District Of Illinois issued a favorable order in the years-long Fair Housing case Kennedy Hunt P.C. and the United States have jointly been fighting against the City of Springfield, Illinois. The court is now requiring the City to pay $61,982,50 in civil penalties to the Department of Justice, and $53,654.50 in prejudgment interest to our client, Individual Advocacy Group.
According to the lawsuit, the City of Springfield used unlawful zoning practices to attempt to close a home where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities lived. Kennedy Hunt P.C. represents the Individual Advocacy Group and Mary B. Valencia, sister and guardian of Alan Dennis, one of the residents. Additional history of the case can be read here.
Now, U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris of the Central District of Illinois calls the judge’s ruling a “groundbreaking civil rights decision.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office says this ruling is one of the largest FHA civil penalties the U.S. Department of Justice has obtained in Illinois, according to The Illinois Times.
For more information, contact managing partner Sarah Jane Hunt at sarahjane@kennedyhuntlaw.com. If you or someone you know has been a victim of housing discrimination, our skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim.