FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR TUESDAY, MAY 20, 1997 (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888 ILLINOIS CITY WILL PAY $200,000 IN DAMAGES AND FINES TO SETTLE HOUSING DISCRIMINATION SUIT WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An Illinois city that was accused of violating the Fair Housing Act by enacting a housing code to limit the number of Hispanic family members living together has agreed to pay $200,000 in damages and fines under an agreement reached with the Justice Department. Under the agreement, approved today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the city of Waukegan will stop restricting the number of persons living in a house based on the relation of the occupants. Previously, the city had permitted only a husband and wife, their children, and no more than two additional relatives to live in a home or apartment, regardless of its size. The Department had alleged that this restriction was used as a means to discriminate against Hispanic residents. "Individuals should not be prohibited from living together just because they are related to one another," said Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Isabelle Katz Pinzler. "If overcrowding is the problem, the law allows limiting the number of people living together, not the type of people." Today's action resolves a suit filed by the Justice Department in August 1996. The suit asserted that city officials, who were aware that Hispanics often reside in extended families, engaged in discriminatory conduct by enacting the family-restrictive rule for the purpose of limiting the number of Hispanics in Waukegan. It stated that city officials repeatedly expressed their animosity toward the new Hispanic residents moving into the city and said they intended to prevent the Hispanics from "taking over" Waukegan. The Justice Department further alleged that, on numerous occasions, officials ordered Hispanic families to vacate their homes, even though their homes were of sufficient size to accommodate the families. In fact, based on the records the city provided to the Justice Department, the only families forced to vacate their homes were Hispanic. Under today's agreement, the city will: * no longer enforce the family-composition ordinance; * pay $175,000 in damages to the victims of the discriminatory policy; * train employees responsible for matters related to zoning and land use about the Fair Housing Act's requirements; * hire a fair housing counselor who is fluent in both English and Spanish to handle housing complaints; * hold regularly scheduled meetings to inform the public about housing opportunities in the city as well as the city's health and safety standards for houses and apartments; and, * pay $25,000 in civil penalties to the U.S. government. Pinzler noted that the settlement does not in any way affect the city's ability to prevent overcrowding of dwellings, since limitations on the total number of persons who may reside in a dwelling based on its size are not at issue. In June 1994, after experiencing a significant increase in its Hispanic population, Waukegan, which has a population of approximately 70,000, revised its housing code to include the new restrictive language. Before the provision was enacted, the city was even advised that the new code may violate the Constitution because of the way it restricts who can live together. Shortly thereafter, and after receiving numerous complaints from Waukegan residents, the Justice Department began investigating the city's housing policies. "Hispanic families deserve a place to call home just like everyone else," said James B. Burns, U.S. Attorney in Chicago. "The Supreme Court has already said that similar restrictions on the types of family members who can live together violate the Constitution." Individuals or families who believe they may have been victims of housing discrimination in Waukegan or anywhere else should call the Department of Justice at 1-800-896-7743. # # # 97-208