Facts

The United States sued the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale and the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, which operated the federal Section 8 housing voucher program for the cities over alleged discriminatory housing practices.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
The federal government contended that the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, the City of Lancaster, and the City of Palmdale engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminating against African-American residents living in Lancaster and Palmdale, including those who held federal Section 8 housing vouchers. Plaintiffs claimed the cities coordinated with the county and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to disproportionately subject African-American voucher holders to more intrusive and intimidating compliance checks and referred them for termination from the voucher program at higher rates than white voucher holders in those cities or elsewhere in the county. It contended that these actions violated the Fair Housing Act.

DEFENDANTS' CONTENTIONS:
Defendants denied that they engaged in discrimination or that they were liable for the conduct alleged by the government.

Result

The parties entered into a settlement agreement in which defendants agreed to abide by state and federal laws barring discrimination against Section 8 voucher participants based on race and other protected characteristics. Among the the terms, defendants also agreed to include implementing a written non-discrimination policy, providing mandatory education and training to relevant officials, employees and staff, and selecting fair housing liaisons. Additionally, the county will pay $1.975 million towards compensating those who may have been harmed by defendants' alleged discriminatory actions and reinstate approved voucher holders. It will also pay the U.S. $25,000 to vindicate the public interest.