Langlois v. Abington Housing Authority
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
207 F.3d 43 (2000)

- Written by Darius Dehghan, JD
Facts
The Section 8 program was a federal program that provided financial assistance to low-income individuals so that they could rent housing from private landlords. Individuals seeking assistance applied to local housing authorities, which were permitted to use preferences in awarding Section 8 vouchers. For instance, Congress expressly authorized housing authorities to give preference to local residents. A number of housing authorities in Massachusetts (defendants) adopted local-residency preferences. Four women of color (plaintiffs) brought suit, contending that the local-residency preferences constituted racial discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The district court found that the local-residency preferences disproportionately excluded racial minorities from receiving Section 8 vouchers. Thus, the district court issued a preliminary injunction barring the housing authorities from using the local-residency preferences. The housing authorities appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Boudin, J.)
Dissent (Stahl, J.)
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