Add To Favorites
Burbank settles lawsuit alleging discrimination against disabled
The Press Democrat - 4/23/2024
Apr. 23—One of Sonoma County's most prominent affordable housing developers has settled a lawsuit alleging it discriminated against people with disabilities.
As a result of the settlement, Burbank Housing Development Corporation and Burbank Housing Management must pay $41,500 and require employees training in fair housing laws, among other conditions. Burbank has developed and/or manages more than 70 housing properties in the North Bay.
The Santa Rosa nonprofit affordable housing developer was sued in 2022 by Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California, which said in a news release that for many years it had been receiving complaints from Burbank tenants.
The complaints alleged that Burbank employees in various ways responded unreasonably and/or slowly to their requests for access to accommodations for their disabilities — including by requiring that assistance dogs be a certain weight or breed — or denied their requests.
Under the terms of the settlement, Burbank did not admit to any wrongdoing or violation but also acknowledged that "they have an affirmative duty not to discriminate."
You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Hay at 707-387-2960 or jeremy.hay@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @jeremyhay
___
(c)2024 The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)
Visit The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.) at www.pressdemocrat.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.