Antioch city, police sued for discrimination {for enforcing the law in Section 8 housing}

Contra Costa Times ^ | 5/14/8 | Simon Read, East County Times

[SmithL]

The Antioch Police Department has been named in a federal lawsuit alleging the department's Community Action Team unfairly targets African-American families enrolled in the subsidized-housing program known as Section 8.

Filed in U.S. District Court earlier this month by Bay Area Legal Aid — a civil legal service for low-income families — the suit alleges the city and police department are engaged in a "concerted and unlawful campaign to seek evidence which could lead to the termination of participants' Section 8 voucher benefits."

Four individuals and a group of Section 8 families are named as plaintiffs. The suit seeks unspecified damages.

Although city officials had not yet been served with the suit, City Manager Jim Jakel dismissed the allegations as "untrue."

"It is the police department's duty to respond to community calls for service and to focus its efforts where it can be most effective to make Antioch safer," he said. "Neighborhood complaints and reported crimes dictate what properties and individuals are the focus of the CAT team's response."

Formed in July 2006, the Community Action Team investigates problem properties that adversely affect neighborhoods and assists the Contra Costa County Housing Authority in monitoring Antioch's subsidized housing.

In December, Bay Area Legal Aid and Public Advocates — a civil rights advocacy group — issued a 41-page report that said black families are four times more likely to be scrutinized by the team than are white families. The team is not "race neutral" in its enforcement of housing laws, and the team interferes with the housing rights of law-abiding black families, according to the report.

Bay Area Legal Aid staff attorney David Levin said his organization met with the city in March to try to avert legal action.

"The city decided to terminate those talks," he said. "Our clients really had no other alternative to protect their civil rights than to seek this hearing in federal court."

City Attorney Lynn Tracy Nerland said Antioch tried to bring both sides to the table.

"It was actually the city that initiated the process and the conversations that led to the meeting in March," she said. "Eventually, we just questioned how fruitful it was going to be with the continual specter of lawsuits and attorney fees."

Because the city had not yet seen the suit, officials were unable to comment on specific allegations.

"Usually, we get served and see the lawsuit before reporters," Nerland said. "The legal process doesn't formally begin until the papers are served."

The lawsuit alleges members of the Community Action Team unlawfully searched homes and made moves to terminate Section 8 benefits for certain recipients without proper cause.

"This case is about our clients and their fair housing rights to live in Antioch," Levin said. "Our clients were facing termination of their Section 8 vouchers and the possible loss of their family home. They came to Bay Area Legal Aid for help."

There are about 1,500 Section 8 homes in Antioch, according to city numbers. Officials said the team responds to citizens' calls and complaints regarding specific properties, whether they be rentals or owner-occupied.

Police logs reviewed by the Times in September showed the team responding to issues reported by neighbors, landlords and the Contra Costa Housing Authority. Many complaints read the same, dealing with loud parties, unruly juveniles, fights — some involving weapons — and piled-up trash.

In one instance, police were summoned to a house after a man fired several rounds in his back yard from a semiautomatic rifle.

Police were summoned to one Antioch house 52 times between April 2000 and August 2006, according to city documents, to deal with rowdy teens and fighting. Loud parties and fights in the street resulted in police visiting another house 20 times between January 2005 and August 2006.

Levin said it was not yet known when the city would be served legal papers.

[SmithL]

Antioch is in the eastern part of the SF Bay area.

[dr.zaeus]

Could the fact that “black families are four times more likely to be scrutinized by the team than are white families” have anything to do with the number of black families in Section 8 housing?

[avacado]

"Could the fact that “black families are four times more likely to be scrutinized by the team than are white families” have anything to do with the number of black families in Section 8 housing?"

Dude... don't be throwing that math stuff around. Math and science were invented by Rich-White-Evil-Euro-Americans to bring the brother down. Rev Wright told me so.

[Right Cal Gal]

Everything I need to know about Section 8 I learned from the family that rented my parents’ house (we were military and lived elsewhere) in 1970: They kicked in doors, broke windows, put holes in the walls, and had a visit from the police once a week. We learned this from the neighbors when we moved back when my dad went to Vietnam.

Of course, the fact that most homes/apartments listed for rent in the local paper prominently state “NO SECTION 8” in their ads is a pretty good indication of how eager landlords are to have them as tenants as well.

[glaseatr]

Antioch has been over run with section 8. The crime rate for a while went through the roof, were talking an 80% increase in some areas. After a thorough study of crimes and their locations it was determined that a vast majority of those crimes were comming from the section 8 areas. The Police started to "target" high crime areas, and to everyones amazement the crime rate dropped.

You should have heard the uproar from the section 8's. They screamed everything from racism to racism but could not change the numbers. When the section 8 areas were targeted, crime went down. Hence the lawsuit.

My take on this and whats happening in Antioch is simple. The non section 8 folks in Antioch got mad and jumped on the police, the mayor and the city council. Crime has gone down because the police have been enforcing the laws regarding section 8 housing. The troublemakers have moved back to Oakland or Richmond where they came from. I know that my little town next door seems to be alittle quieter too.