U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. City of Beaumont, Texas (E.D. Tex.)
On June 16, 2016, the court entered a consent decree in United States v. City of Beaumont (E.D. Tex.).The complaint, which was filed on filed on May 26, 2015, alleges that the City implemented and enforced spacing requirements and overly restrictive fire code regulations for small group homes for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, in violation of the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.The consent decree requires the City to pay $435,000 in monetary relief to 11 aggrieved individuals and a $15,000 civil penalty.The City will also pay $25,000 to Disability Rights Texas, the organization that represented the three individuals who filed the HUD complaints and intervened in the United States’ lawsuit.In addition, the City consented to injunctive relief, including ceasing enforcement of its spacing requirements and overly restrictive fire code regulations, implementing a comprehensive reasonable accommodation policy, requiring its officials to attend fair housing training, and appointing a fair housing compliance officer.
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