United States Files Suit Against Long Island Housing Complex for Fair Housing Act...

United States Files Suit Against Long Island Housing Complex for Fair Housing
Act Violations

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Benton J. Campbell, U.S.
Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the filing of a
federal civil complaint against Sunrise Villas LLC, its manager, and assistant
manager for violations of the Fair Housing Act. Sunrise Villas LLC is the
owner and operator of the Sunrise Villas apartment complex located at Leonard
Court in Lindenhurst, N.Y. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination
against people with disabilities. Under the Act, housing providers are
required to make reasonable accommodations when necessary to afford tenants an
equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling and cannot refuse to rent to or
make apartments unavailable to persons with disabilities because of those
disabilities.

According to the government's complaint, the defendants engaged in a pattern
or practice of refusing to rent apartments to individuals who require the use
of service animals. As alleged, on three separate occasions, testers employed
by Long Island Housing Services, a fair housing advocacy group located in
Bohemia, N.Y., represented that they sought to rent apartments at Sunrise
Villas for individuals who required service animals. Testers were told that
the development had a strict "no-pets" rule, and that the complex would not
rent to individuals with service animals.

The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief requiring the defendants to bring its
practices into compliance with the Fair Housing Act, damages to compensate
persons harmed by these discriminatory practices, and civil penalties.

"Persons with disabilities are entitled to the protections of the Fair Housing
Act. This includes the right of individuals who require service animals to be
able to rent apartments in the same manner as individuals without
disabilities," stated U.S. Attorney Campbell. "Apartment buildings that
discriminate against or fail to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals
will be held accountable for failing to comply with the law."

"Service animals allow persons with disabilities to maintain their
independence and enhance their quality of life," said John Trasvina, HUD's
Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "When we find that
individuals are being unjustly denied such a reasonable accommodation, we will
take action."

The government's case is being litigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly
Horan Florio.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

Robert Nardoza of the Office of United States Attorney Benton J. Campbell,
Eastern District of New York, +1-718-254-6323