Mount Holly Residents Praying for Supreme Relief
NJ.com reports that the Mount Holly Gardens Citizens in Action has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their case that claims municipal redevelopment activity has resulted in discrimination in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.
Statistically, its unlikely that the nation’s high Court will take the case, but the residents remaining at the Gardens deserve some relief. As is clear from the below image, the town has overstepped the boundaries of civil conduct. The town raised parts of row-houses and just slapped tar paper on the exposed remainder.
Photo courtesy: Andrews Mills/The Star Ledger
The compelling argument is that the majority of the residents of Mt Holly Gardens are minorities. Thus, the municipal redevelopment process has had a disparate impact on a discrete insular minority – depriving them of their homes.
Hopefully, the high Court will answer the Citizens’ prayers. The odds of having a petition for certiorari granted by the U.S. Supreme Court are very low, and the Court ordinarily only takes cases where some paramount public interest is at stake that may affect the interests of other U.S. citizens.
We’ll keep you posted.
Our blog roll on the topic:
http://njcondemnationlaw.com/2011/09/15/mt-holly-gardens-residents-live-to-fight-another-day/
http://njcondemnationlaw.com/2011/05/17/mt-holly-gardens-stay-pending-appeal-continues/
http://njcondemnationlaw.com/2011/06/01/mt-holly-gardens-project-on-hannity-show/
http://njcondemnationlaw.com/2011/01/05/mt-holly-gardens-project-survives-discrimination-claim/
