Day: September 19, 2024

Erin Palmer, Associate Director, Corporate Pro Bono Across the United States, so-called “crime-free” and “nuisance” housing ordinances are being challenged for their discriminatory impacts. These policies, while supposedly intended to enhance safety, often disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including people of color, individuals with disabilities, and survivors of domestic violence. Recent legal developments, including a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, issued on August 15, caution that such housing programs may violate federal laws and undermine civil rights protections. Proactive legal advocacy is crucial, and lawyers play a key role in fighting these injustices and ensuring fair