Multiple New York adult care facilities and assisted living programs collectively reached a $399,000 final settlement with a watchdog civil rights group in a lawsuit over admissions policies affecting prospective residents who use wheelchairs.
The Fair Housing Justice Center announced the settlement on Wednesday. FHJC initially filed a lawsuit last summer based on its investigation into the properties denying admission to prospective residents over their use of wheelchairs. The complaint alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act, the Rehabilitation Act and the Affordable Care Act.
The settlement was ordered Jan. 21, and the consent judgement ordered Feb. 14. The communities agreed to pay $399,000 in total. They also must adopt nondiscrimination policies regarding people who have mobility impairments, adopt reasonable accommodation policies, train staff members who are involved in admissions processes, and extensively revise their application processes. The operators also must revamp their websites and promotional materials to avoid promoting discriminatory policies against wheelchair-users…