The United States has initiated a federal Fair Housing Act lawsuit against Lettire Construction Corp. and associated entities, alleging failure to design and construct apartment buildings accessible to individuals with disabilities. The lawsuit includes other entities linked to Lettire that were involved in the design or construction of these residential complexes. Alongside the lawsuit, proposed consent decrees with Lettire, East 124th Street LLC, and other related entities have been submitted for court approval.
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim stated: “Today’s filing is the 20th suit that this Office has brought to remedy the failure of real estate developers to comply with the Fair Housing Act. We appreciate Lettire’s and East 124th Street LLC’s cooperation in taking responsibility for their actions so that more properties are rendered accessible to more people. This Office will remain vigilant in ensuring that developers, construction managers, and architects comply with the FHA and remedy inaccessible housing in this District.”
The Fair Housing Act mandates that multifamily housing complexes built after January 1991 must include basic features accessible to those with disabilities. The complaint outlines inaccessible conditions at several properties developed by Lettire, including high thresholds at building entrances and insufficient space in bathrooms for wheelchair users.
Three specific properties are highlighted:
- The Tapestry at 245 East 124th Street in Manhattan involves defendants such as Lettire 124th Street LLC as co-developer and East 124th Street LLC as owner.
- Chestnut Commons at 3269 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn names UBC Chestnut Commons LLC as co-developer and MHANY Management Inc. as managing member.
- The Atrium at 57 Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Brooklyn is included due to ongoing retrofits despite previous issues being addressed.
The complaint seeks a court order requiring Lettire to retrofit apartments and common areas for accessibility, establish policies ensuring future compliance with FHA standards, and compensate individuals affected by discrimination due to these conditions.
Under settlement terms, Lettire agreed to complete necessary retrofits at The Atrium, adopt compliance procedures for future projects, provide employee training on FHA requirements, pay a $20,000 civil penalty, while related entities will pay $10,000 each based on their involvement.
East 124th Street LLC also agreed to similar terms regarding The Tapestry project alongside a $10,000 civil penalty payment and provision of $20,000 compensation for affected individuals who may have experienced discrimination or incurred costs due to lack of accessibility features.
Individuals who believe they faced discrimination can contact the Civil Rights Complaint account via email or through available forms on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website.
Edward Y. Kim expressed gratitude towards HUD for its investigative assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Lee and Danielle J. Marryshow are leading the case under the Civil Rights Unit's oversight within the Civil Division.
