The Pacific Legal Foundation filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism on Tuesday challenging Washington State’s housing program for first-time homebuyers.
The state’s Covenant Homeownership Program was launched to help prospective homeowners of color buy a home via down payment and closing cost assistance.
“If Washington decides to provide these benefits, however, it cannot be at the expense of equal opportunity,” the law firm wrote in a press release. “It’s wrong for the government to gate access to public benefits on the basis of race. Moreover, it’s unconstitutional.”
The Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) bills itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan gropu promoting equal protection under the law. It claimed in a Monday press release its members would fully qualify for the state program if race weren’t a factor.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on Monday and awaits further review, according to the Pacific Legal Foundation.