Recently, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and the Tennessee Fair Housing Council (TFHC) announced they filed a housing discrimination complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) alleging that I. and M.J. Gross, d/b/a Gross Residential, is in violation of the Fair Housing Act’s accessibility requirements at 13 multi-family rental properties in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, according to a HUD press release.

Gross Residential is an Ohio-based corporation that develops, constructs, and manages single-family housing and multi-family apartment communities.

In the complaint, which is the result of a months-long, multi-state investigation, NFHA and TFHC allege they have identified a pattern at Gross Residential communities of:

• Inaccessibly constructed kitchens;
• Inaccessible toilets and light switches;
• A lack of accessible routes through the public and common use areas; and,
• A lack of accessible parking spaces.

The investigation focused on properties in the Charlotte, N.C., Nashville, Tenn., and Huntsville, Ala., metro areas. For many people with disabilities, documented inaccessible features are tantamount to a denial of housing, and they limit housing choice in an already restricted and unaffordable rental market.    

 "Every individual deserves the right to access housing that meets their needs, regardless of their abilities,” NFHA President and CEO Lisa Rice said in the release. “The National Fair Housing Alliance is resolute in its commitment to rooting out discrimination in all forms, especially when it denies people with disabilities the equal opportunity to enjoy safe and accessible housing. The alleged violations by Gross Residential across multiple states are not just a breach of the law; they represent a violation of the basic tenets of fairness and equality.

“We will continue to stand up against any actions that undermine the principles of the Fair Housing Act. It is our collective responsibility to create housing environments that are inclusive, accessible, and free from discrimination,” Rice added.

 TFHC Executive Director Martie Lafferty expressed compliance concerns.

“It is unacceptable that seven newly constructed apartment communities in middle Tennessee do not comply with the Fair Housing Act’s accessibility requirements,” Lafferty said. “These are minimum requirements which ensure that people with disabilities can use basic features of their housing such as their kitchen and bathroom. The Tennessee Fair Housing Council has long been committed to housing accessibility and will continue working to address barriers at these Gross Residential complexes and other housing communities.”

NFHA and TFHC are represented by civil rights law firm Relman Colfax PLLC. NFHA is also represented by Morgan Williams, NFHA’s general counsel, and Scott Chang, senior counsel on NFHA’s Enforcement Team. TFHC is also represented by Martie Lafferty, TFHC’s executive director, and William Cox, staff attorney at TFHC.