Thread: Manassas responds to HUD's complaints defending overcrowding

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Manassas responds to HUD's complaints


By ALEXANDER GRANADOS
agranados@potomacnews.com
Wednesday, June 21, 2006


What do you think?



The City of Manassas maintains that its program to prevent residential overcrowding does not discriminate against Hispanics, even as it becomes the target of more complaints and investigation.
The city's responses to complaints filed against it by various Manassas residents, equal rights groups and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were made public Monday.

Many complaints allege that a city ordinance that redefined the term "family" and an "overcrowding hotline" discriminate against Hispanics.

"We are vigorously defending these complaints," said City Attorney Robert Bendall at Monday night's City Council meeting.

At the meeting, Bendall also acknowledged that more complaints have been filed against the city and that HUD officials will be conducting a second round of interviews with city employees June 27.

He also said that the city had retained former Virginia Attorney General Bill Broaddus as outside counsel on the case.

The allegations that the city discriminates against Hispanic residents began in December when it passed an ordinance redefining the term "family."

The ordinance limited the definition of family and limited who could live in a house together.

Controversy ensued and the council voted to repeal the ordinance in February, returning the definition of "family" to its previous form, which allowed any family members to live together with one unrelated person.

In response to a complaint about the ordinance filed with HUD by the Washington, D.C.-based Equal Rights Center, Broaddus disputed claims that it targeted any specific group.

"The purpose of the Ordinance was to avoid having homes and single-family zoned properties cannibalized and transformed into multi-family homes ..." Broaddus wrote in a June 9 letter to HUD.

The ordinance was also meant to avoid having single-family homes turned into "boarding houses," he said.

While the city argues that the ordinance change wasn't illegal, it also said that this should no longer be at issue.

"The City submits that the December 5, 2005 Ordinance was reasonable, but that the subsequent repeal renders the issue moot," Broaddus wrote.

Other complaints filed against the city revolve around an "overcrowding hotline," established in June 2004, where Manassas residents can lodge anonymous complaints about overcrowding.

In a complaint filed by HUD against the city, HUD officials argue that a disproportionate number of Hispanics have been the focus of "hotline" complaints.

While the city has not analyzed the call data put forth by HUD regarding the "hotline," Broaddus argues in a separate June 9 letter to the department that even if accurate, the data does not add up to discrimination.

If it were discrimination, then the Virginia penal and criminal justice system would be guilty of the same, he said, because they incarcerate African-Americans disproportionately to their overall population in the state.

In the files available in the City Clerk's office, the city also addresses the complaints filed against it by many Manassas residents, disputing their claims of discrimination.

Until now, Manassas officials have not commented publicly on any complaints filed against the city.

HUD needs to bbe brought to task for allowing HUD subsidized homes to be used as rent machines to illegals.

Other complaints filed against the city revolve around an "overcrowding hotline," established in June 2004, where Manassas residents can lodge anonymous complaints about overcrowding.

In a complaint filed by HUD against the city, HUD officials argue that a disproportionate number of Hispanics have been the focus of "hotline" complaints.

Could that be because it is mostly Hispanics overcrowding single family residences? These complaints are comming anonymously from people in the community. Are they claiming the entire town is racist calling in only Hispanics that are overcrowding single family homes? I think people have seen this overcrowding in communities all across the country. And what segment of the community seem to be the biggest offenders?

(boy trying not to sound racist or stereotypical is really hard sometimes )

Good for Manassas!

ICE just let 20 illegals loose that were all riding in one van going the wrong way down a road. They were headed for Manassas.