EDMONDS — The owners and manager of three Edmonds apartment buildings have agreed to pay $95,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging they violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to rent to families with children.
The settlement was announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice. It ends a lawsuit brought early this year on behalf of a family who in 2014 was denied opportunity to rent because they had a 1-year-old child.
“Equal access to housing is essential for all Americans, including families with young children,” U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes said. Federal law requires landlords to make units available without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status, she said.
The apartments are owned and managed by defendants Debbie A. Appleby and three limited liability companies.
The property owners agreed to adopt non-discriminatory policies and to submit to monitoring for three years. They also agreed to pay $70,000 in damages to families harmed and $25,000 in civil penalties.
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