On November 28, 2017, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Springfield on behalf of the United States of America, which can be read here. This sister lawsuit mirrors our office’s filing in December of 2016 against Springfield, IL, which can be read about here.
The lawsuit brought by the DOJ alleges that the City of Springfield has violated the Fair Housing Act through housing practices which treat individuals with disabilities less favorably than those without disabilities. This lawsuit seeks a court order preventing Springfield from enforcing the 600 ft. spacing requirement between group homes for persons with disabilities, at our clients’ location as well as elsewhere in the city. The lawsuit also seeks monetary damages to compensate the victims of these practices and ordinances, and payment of a civil penalty.
The press release issued by the Department of Justice can be read here.