Settlement Agreement Reached With East Hampton Housing Authority to Resolve Civil Rights Lawsuit Alleging Failure to Reasonably Accommodate a Minor Tenant Requiring Use of an[...]

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today a Settlement Agreement with the East Hampton Housing Authority resolving the United States' lawsuit against East Hampton Housing Authority under the Fair Housing Act. The lawsuit alleged that East Hampton Housing Authority discriminated against a minor tenant by refusing to permit him to live with his emotional support dog to accommodate his disability. As alleged, over the course of nineteen months during 2021 and 2022, East Hampton Housing Authority took the erroneous position that emotional support animals did not qualify for reasonable accommodation under the law. The settlement will ensure equal access to housing for all East Hampton Housing Authority tenants who demonstrate their need for a reasonable accommodation for assistance animals under the Fair Housing Act.

"Today's settlement ensures that tenants with disabilities who require assistance animals will be reasonably accommodated so that they have the same opportunity to use and enjoy their homes as other tenants," stated United States Attorney Nocella. "Our Office will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act and its protections against discrimination for people with disabilities."

Under the terms of the settlement, East Hampton Housing Authority has agreed to adopt a reasonable accommodation policy regarding requests for assistance animals, comply with certain notice, training, and recordkeeping requirements to ensure that its officers and employees are knowledgeable about and comply with the terms of the Fair Housing Act, and allow the United States to monitor compliance with the Settlement Agreement. East Hampton Housing Authority has also agreed to pay the victim's family $82,500 in damages, upon a release of claims.

The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to discriminate in the terms and conditions of the sale or rental of, or to otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling based on the prospective buyer or renter's disability. The Fair Housing Act also mandates that reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, and services be provided when necessary to afford equal housing opportunities to persons with disabilities.

This matter has been handled by Chief of the Office's Civil Division Civil Rights Section Megan Freismuth.