Articles

Are neighborhoods becoming more integrated?

October 22, 2015 | By WENCONG FA

According to a new law review article, residential segregation has declined sharply over the last five decades. The article observes that “in 1970, 80% of African Americans would have had to switch neighborhoods for blacks to be spread evenly across the typical metropolitan area. By 2010, this proportion was down to 55%, and was continuin ...

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More on disparate impact and the Fair Housing Act

July 02, 2015 | By RALPH KASARDA

The Washington Examiner published my opinion-editorial yesterday on the Supreme Court’s disappointing decision in Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc.  Last week, the Court held that the Fair Housing Act (FHA), Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, encompasses claims for disparate impact. ...

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President's weekly report — June 26, 2015

June 26, 2015 | By ROB RIVETT

The physical invasion of the raisin snatchers — a property rights victory at the Supreme Court  In a week marked by several major Supreme Court decisions that were quite disappointing to advocates of limited government and the rule of law, there was one very bright spot: this decision in Horne v. United States Department of Agriculture. T ...

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The lingering constitutional problem with disparate impact

June 25, 2015 | By WENCONG FA

Today the Court held that disparate impact claims are cognizable under the Fair Housing Act (our earlier blog post on the case is here). The Court came to this conclusion as a matter of statutory interpretation, but didn’t say much about the constitutional problems that might arise in a disparate impact lawsuit. Like the antagonist … ...

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Supreme Court holds Fair Housing Act prohibits disparate impact discrimination

June 25, 2015 | By RALPH KASARDA

In a disappointing 5-4 decision written by Justice Kennedy, the Supreme Court held today that the Federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, encompasses claims for disparate impact.  The majority insists that disparate-impact claims are consistent with the FHA’s central purpose to eradicate discriminatory practi ...

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Do the words "or otherwise" change the meaning of the Fair Housing Act?

February 10, 2015 | By WENCONG FA

The Supreme Court will soon decide whether the Fair Housing Act allows for disparate impact liability. At oral argument, Justice Sotomayor highlighted a major issue in the case: words that unambiguously impose liability for disparate treatment (“to refuse to sell or rent”) appear along with words that arguably impose liability for dispa ...

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Is HUD's interpretation of the Fair Housing Act "wishful thinking on steroids"?

February 06, 2015 | By RALPH KASARDA

Last month the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc.  In that case, the Court will decide whether disparate impact claims are cognizable under the Fair Housing Act (FHA).  Todd Gaziano, Executive Director of PLF’s D.C. Center and Senior Fellow in ...

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Sacramento Bee publishes PLF op-ed on disparate impact and the Fair Housing Act

January 23, 2015 | By WENCONG FA

Today’s Sacramento Bee carries this op-ed by PLF attorneys Ralph Kasarda and Wen Fa on Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, the Supreme Court case on whether disparate impact claims are cognizable under the Fair Housing Act. We say “no” in our amicus brief to the Supreme Court and ...

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The third case is the charm for contested disparate impact oral argument

January 21, 2015 | By RALPH KASARDA

PLF’s Todd Gaziano, Executive Director of PLF’s DC Center and Senior Fellow in Constitutional Law, attended the oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court today in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc.  The important issue before the Court is whether the Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits ...