United States v. Starrett City Associates case brief

United States v. Starrett City Associates case brief summary
840 F.2d 1096 (2d Cir. 1988)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Appellant sought review of an order of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York granting summary judgment in favor of appellee government enjoining the use of racial quotas in the rental of apartments in violation of The Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C.S. § 3604(a)-(d).

CASE FACTS
Appellee government brought suit to enjoin appellant management company's use of rigid racial quotas in the rental of apartments. The trial court found in favor of appellee and enjoined the appellant's activities.

DISCUSSION

• On review, the court found that in order to maintain a policy of rigid racial quotas, there had to be a prior history of discrimination, and the quotas had to be tailored so that they were sufficiently temporary to meet a defined goal as that quota's termination point. 
• The court found that the policy of the appellant was of an indefinite duration and that it restricted minority access to available apartments in violation of the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C.S. § 3604(a)-(d). 
• The court also found that there had been no sufficient basis for instituting the policy because there were no allegations of prior racial discrimination against whites, which affected their ability to obtain rental apartments. 
• The court accordingly affirmed the trial court's judgment.

CONCLUSION
The court affirmed the trial court's grant of summary judgment in favor of appellee because the use of rigid racial quotas of indefinite duration to maintain a fixed level of integration was in violation of the law.


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