It took numerous courtroom battles,
a contempt of court threat and the withholding of millions in federal dollars,
but Westchester County finally has
a law banning discrimination against those who pay their rent with federal
assistance.
The Board of Legislators for the
suburban New York county voted 15-2 Monday night to pass the legislation
required by a 2009 settlement with the federal government over Westchester’s
failures to comply with fair housing laws.
The Board’s vote ends one critical
scuffle in an escalating conflict chronicled
last fall by ProPublica that began three years ago this month when
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino vetoed legislation
that would have banned housing discrimination based on income.
The federal government, which
negotiated the 2009 settlement with the county, contended that Astorino’s veto violated the terms of the deal. When the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development began withholding millions in
federal grants over the veto and other issues, Astorino
turned to the courts.
He lost.
Still, Astorino
persisted in his efforts to scuttle the ban – one that made it unlawful
for landlords to deny housing to potential renters simply because they received
financial assistance from the federal government.
In April, the U.S.
Attorney’s Office turned up the heat when it threatened to seek a contempt
of court ruling against the county if Astorino did
not agree to reintroduce and sign the law.
Facing large fines against both him
and the county, Astorino submitted the legislation a
few days later.
Still, Astorino’s
fire wasn’t doused. As the board contemplated the law,
Astorino asked last week for funding to work on an
appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The board tabled his request and then
passed the legislation days later.
The federal government won’t have
long to relish its victory. The battle with Astorino will
now center on requirements that the county dismantle zoning that makes it
difficult for African Americans and Latinos to find housing in white areas.
And the zoning issue, which is
largely seen as having the greatest potential to integrate housing in the
highly segregated county, could well prove to be the greater conflict.
