The eight courageous plaintiffs in this case all attempted to apply for Section 8 housing vouchers from the Hialeah Housing Authority (HHA), but encountered numerous obstacles. The HHA refused to make accommodations in the application process for people with disabilities, requested decades-old documents that they were not permitted to request, and otherwise made it difficult for the plaintiffs to apply for the benefits they were legally entitled to. FJI, co-counseling with Legal Services of Greater Miami, sued the HHA for violations of the Fair Housing Act, the Due Process Clause, the ADA, and others. The parties reached a settlement for $254,000 and Section 8 housing vouchers, and the HHA agreed to change its practices to make the application process more accessible.
For this case, FJI and LSGMI were awarded the first runner up for the Florida Bar Foundation’s 2012 Steven M. Goldstein Award for Excellence, and the Daily Business Review’s 2011 Most Effective Lawyer Award in the Public Interest category. See the press coverage of this case.