The U.S Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in a case that could potentially reverse decades of settled housing discrimination law. The case deals with residents of a low-income neighborhood called The Gardens in Mount Holly, New Jersey. The residents sued the township when it bought and demolished homes in a predominately minority neighborhood. Several years ago, the township adopted a controversial plan that called for the demolition of all of the existing homes in the township’s only predominantly African-American and Hispanic neighborhood. The town’s council voted to buy all the homes in the low-income neighborhood for existing market prices ranging from $32,000 to $49,000. The plan was to replace the homes with 520 new homes ranging in price from $200,000 to $250,000 . The prices are well beyond what the current residents could afford. Approximately 260 families already moved out. Seventy remain, including approximately 30 that are parties to the lawsuit
The purpose of this Blog is to update the fair housing community and consumers on current issues dealing with fair housing and lending discrimination issues. Your participation and comments are encouraged and welcomed.