Bedford Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit

BEDFORD, NY — A lawsuit over housing discrimination in the Town of Bedford has been settled. Westchester Residential Opportunities announced Tuesday that it has settled a lawsuit that it, along with the Fair Housing Justice Center, brought against the Town of Bedford and Blue Mountain Housing Development Corporation, Inc.

The suit, which was filed in July 2017 in federal court, alleged discrimination against African-Americans in the residency and employment preferences of the town’s “middle income” affordable housing program, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.

WRO and FHJC investigated the town’s housing program and said they uncovered statistical and testing evidence that the preferences in the predominantly white town’s zoning code have a disproportionate impact on African-Americans — and unduly advantage whites — in the affordable housing program.

The terms of the settlement include wide-ranging injunctive relief, including the elimination of the preferences from the zoning code, as well as total monetary damages in the amount of $165,000, the WRO said.

WRO Deputy Executive Director Marlene Zarfes said the settlement is a step toward getting rid of segregation that still exists in Westchester because of exclusionary zoning codes.

Bedford Supervisor Chris Burdick said that both the town and Blue Mountain denied the allegations and any wrongdoing. He said entering into the settlement is not to be construed as an admission of guilt or an acknowledgement that there is any merit to the allegations.

Burdick said the town has taken numerous actions to comply with the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and promote fair and affordable housing in the town.

He said under the terms of the agreement the town would amend the zoning code with respect to middle-income housing to eliminate the preferences and provide certain incentives for middle-income housing developments in the town.

Key staff could be required to undergo training and certain aspects of the housing program would be administered with the assistance of the Housing Action Council.

Burdick said the monetary settlement will not be borne by taxpayers, but by the insurers for Blue Mountain and the town.

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