Shriver Center and Prairie State Legal Services Sue to Halt Public Housing Demolition

The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and Prairie State Legal Services last month filed a lawsuit to halt the demolition of a Rockford, Illinois, public housing development, Jane Addams Village. Filed on behalf of two longtime tenants seeking to remain at Jane Addams, the suit alleges that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had no statutory basis for approving the project’s demolition. The plaintiffs also argued that the Rockford Housing Authority failed to provide adequate housing counseling to Jane Addams families who were relocated with vouchers.

Following an emergency hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Frederick Kapala granted a standstill order providing that demolition may not occur until the parties come to an agreement or the court issues a ruling. The tenants agreed to move temporarily into other Rockford Housing Authority buildings, and earlier this month the parties returned to court with an expanded standstill order. Under the order, the Rockford Housing Authority and HUD may not take action to prepare the property for demolition.

Jane Addams Village provides 84 units of public housing in a historic, revitalizing Rockford neighborhood. The Shriver Center and Prairie State believe that residents of Jane Addams should continue to be a part of this dynamic community, and the parties hope to reach a settlement agreement shortly.

For more information, contact William Wilen or Samantha M. Tuttle.