[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish

[Westley Annis]

CONTACT: James Perry - jperry at gnofairhousing.org, 504.596.2100


FAIR HOUSING CENTER FILES SUIT AGAINST ST. BERNARD PARISH; NEWS
CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT 1:00 P.M. TODAY 

The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) filed suit
this morning against St. Bernard Parish in the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  The suit prays for a
permanent injunction restraining St. Bernard Parish from enforcing its
single-family and blood-relative ordinances.

GNOFHAC will host a news conference at 1:00 p.m. to provide details of
the lawsuit.  Additionally, attendees will hear from a landlord harmed
by the discriminatory ordinance.  The event will be held on the neutral
ground near the intersection of St. Claude Ave. & Mehle Ave, in front of
the St. Bernard Parish "Welcome," sign.

 GNOFHAC filed the lawsuit because the ordinance's blood relative
requirement will prevent St. Bernard homeowners with covered residences
from renting to any person not of the owner's own race and national
origin.  The most recent estimates from United States Census Data
indicate that whites own nearly 93% of St. Bernard Parish owner-occupied
housing.  As a result, in most circumstances only whites would be able
to rent most single-family housing in the Parish.

The Fair Housing Act, as amended (The Act), expressly prohibits
discrimination in the rental or sale of a dwelling on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, familial status, disability or national origin.
42 U.S.C. § 3604 (a).  The Act has been interpreted to prohibit
municipalities from using their zoning powers in a manner that excludes
housing for a group of people on the basis of one of the enumerated
classifications.  The Act is violated even when seemingly neutral zoning
policies have a discriminatory effect on a particular protected class
and cause harm to a community through the perpetuation of segregation.
As such, the Ordinance is likely illegal discrimination.

James Perry, GNOFHAC Executive Director comments, "When people enter the
Parish, the sign says "Welcome to St. Bernard," but this ordinance makes
it clear that if you're not white, you're probably not welcome.  Our
goal is to make sure that everyone is truly welcome to live in the
Parish.  We have attempted to settle the matter amicably, but the Parish
has flatly refused requests to reverse the ordinance.  We have been left
with no choice but to purse legal action."