Westchester County will have to pay more than $60 million, develop at least 750 housing units in the most residentially segregated white municipalities in the County, and institute meaningful housing de-segregation policies, all in connection with a settlement of a federal lawsuit that had been brought against the County on behalf of the United States by the Anti-Discrimination Center (“ADC”).
The settlement will have a major impact on the way federal housing and community development funds are used throughout the country.

Earlier this year, a federal judge had found as a matter of law that Westchester County had “utterly failed” to meet its affirmatively furthering fair housing (“AFFH”) obligations during the false claims period (2000-06), and that each and all of Westchester’s certifications that it had or would AFFH were “false or fraudulent.”

Faced with certain defeat on the remaining question of whether its false representations were made in reckless disregard or deliberate ignorance of their truth or falsity, Westchester decided to settle the case.

Craig Gurian, ADC's Executive Director, litigated the case in partnership with ADC's counsel, the law firm of Relman & Dane.

Full background at http://www.antibiaslaw.com/wfc