FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
FRIDAY, JULY 7, 1995                               (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


     JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO HALT DEMOLITION OF HISPANIC
               NEIGHBORHOODS IN ADDISON, ILLINOIS


     WASHINGTON, D.C. --  The Justice Department today accused a
Chicago suburb of intentionally depriving Hispanic families of
opportunities to live in the town by demolishing homes in Hispanic
neighborhoods.
     The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, alleged
that the Village of Addison violated the federal Fair Housing Act
by employing a scheme to reduce the number of Hispanic families 
through a state financing program, commonly referred to as a TIF
(Tax Increment Financing) plan.  Under the plan, municipalities can
use eminent domain proceedings to acquire private property, such as
apartment complexes, that they designate as "blighted."  The
municipality can then tear down the property and turn it over to
private builders to redevelop to increase the tax base.
     While the TIF program frequently has been used to acquire and
redevelop commercial property, it has rarely been used to acquire
residential property.  This is believed to be the first time in
which such a program allegedly was used to reduce the minority
population.
     According to the Justice Department complaint, the Hispanic
population in Addison more than doubled between 1980 and 1990.  
The Village has 32,000 residents.
     Last year, the Village tore down eight apartment complexes in
the targeted area, displacing 32 families.  The city halted
demolition after receiving a request from the Justice Department to
discuss the matter.
     Today's suit claimed that Village officials aggressively
inspected the targeted housing and repeatedly found it complied
with applicable housing codes.  It also alleged that officials:
    do not have any plans to assist the displaced families;

    recognize there would be insufficient affordable housing
     remaining in Addison;

    provided no assistance to the already displaced families, and;

    realized that many more Hispanic families will be forced to
     leave.  

     Village officials offered no proof that the tax base would
increase by demolishing the housing.
     According to the complaint, the village targeted six of the
eight census blocks in Addison in which Hispanics comprise at least
50% of the population.  The complaint also claimed that the census
blocks in Addison with the highest number of Hispanic residents are
included in the TIF districts.   
     "This is not urban renewal -- it is 'urban destruction'
motivated by the national origin of the residents," said Assistant
Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick.  "We would
stand behind the village if it tried to improve these neighbor-
hoods, but we will not stand by as it destroys them."  
     The suit seeks an order requiring the city to cease any
further destruction of the homes in the two Hispanic neighborhoods
and pay damages to the displaced victims, as well as punitive
damages and civil penalties.
     "We applaud efforts to improve neighborhoods by providing
residents with decent affordable housing," said James B. Burns,
U.S. Attorney in Chicago.  "But, effectively displacing minorities
in the name of redevelopment is an affront to legitimate programs
to remove blight." 
     Hispanics United and the Leadership Council on Civil Rights
filed a similar suit against Addison on October 6, 1994.  The suit
is currently pending before Judge Ruben Castillo.
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