MFY Joins Amicus Brief Urging U.S. Supreme Court to Reject Fair Housing Act Challenge

MFY joined the American Civil Liberties Union and eight other organizations, including the National Consumer Law Center, in filing a joint brief with the United States Supreme Court in Township of Mount Holly v. Mt. Holly Gardens Citizens in Action, Inc. urging the court to recognize that “disparate impact” claims can be made under the federal Fair Housing Act. The Act prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. Every federal appeals court that has considered the issue now before the Supreme Court has interpreted the Act to prohibit policies that have a discriminatory impact upon minority groups, regardless of whether they were adopted with a discriminatory intent. The amicus brief argues that a discriminatory impact cause of action under the Act is consistent with Congressional intent and necessary to address critical housing discrimination issues such as predatory lending.