The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the manager and owner of the Linden House Apartments in Cleveland for refusing to rent apartments to families with children in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio names the management company responsible for Linden House Apartments, Zaremba Management Company Inc., the manager of Linden House Apartments, Katrina Ivanskis and the owner of the property, Linden Apartment Company. It alleges that Zaremba and Ivanskis maintained a policy of refusing to rent units at Linden House to families with children. It also alleges that the Linden House has a policy of evicting tenants or asking tenants to relocate if they have children while living at Linden House.
“Fighting illegal discrimination in housing is a top priority of the Justice Department,” said Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “We will vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act to ensure families are not denied the home of their choice because they have children.” The lawsuit seeks an order prohibiting the defendants from engaging in future unlawful discrimination. It also seeks the payment of a civil penalty and monetary damages for the persons who were refused the opportunity to rent at Linden House because of familial status, or who were asked to leave Linden House because of familial status.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination at Linden House or have other information related to this lawsuit can call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743 or e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov. Individuals who believe they have experienced housing discrimination elsewhere can contact the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743 or fairhousing@usdoj.gov or contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.
The complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct. The allegations must be proven in federal court.
Source: US Department of Justice
