Court Approves Voucher Desegregation Settlement; New Voucher Mobility Program Operational

The parties’ settlement agreement in Wallace v. Chicago Housing Authority was officially approved by U.S. District Court Judge Ruben Castillo in late May. Since then, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) has made available the Enhanced Housing Opportunity Program described in the agreement for families who left the CHA with Housing Choice Vouchers between 1995 and 2003.

In January 2003 a group of current and former public housing residents, represented by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, sued the CHA for failing to develop a program to assist them in relocating to racially integrated communities in the private market. Thousands of families living in public housing had been or would be relocated temporarily or permanently to subsidized private housing with Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly known as Section 8 Vouchers) as part of the CHA’s Plan for Transformation. After two years of intense litigation, the parties came to a settlement agreement last spring. (See article in April 2005 Illinois Welfare News.)

The CHA and Wallace plaintiffs (represented by the Shriver Center and the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law) appeared in court on May 31 to present their proposed settlement in a fairness hearing. Angela Maples, the Wallace class representative, testified in strong support of the settlement. A small number of individuals stated their objections to the settlement because they worried about being forced to move, but Judge Castillo clarified that the voucher mobility program would be voluntary. After hearing all of the testimony, Judge Castillo officially entered the settlement and expressed his hope that it would prove successful for both CHA and families with vouchers.

In June the CHA notified Wallace plaintiffs’ counsel that the Enhanced Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) described in the settlement agreement was now in place. As described in the notice to Wallace class members, Enhanced HOP “adds a focus encouraging class members to move to racially integrated areas.” According to the notice, Enhanced HOP will provide enrolled class members with educational materials and a neighborhood tour to inform them of their housing opportunities. They will receive referrals to at least three units in racially integrated neighborhoods along with requested transportation to those units. As in the original HOP program, Enhanced HOP participants will be eligible for security deposit assistance as well.

Families who left CHA housing with vouchers between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2003, have the opportunity to enroll in Enhanced HOP for the next 18 to 24 months and may participate in the program for up to one year thereafter.

The Wallace plaintiffs have three years to monitor the implementation of the settlement, including Enhanced HOP. They urge advocates to promote Enhanced HOP and to encourage their clients both to participate and to report back on their experiences in the program.

For more information or to share Enhanced HOP participant reports, contact Raj Nayak at or 312.263.3830 ext. 243.