Williams v. City of Antioch
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
This civil rights lawsuit charges that the City of Antioch, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, discriminates against African American residents who receive federal assistance to pay rent, known as “Section 8” housing vouchers. The lawsuit alleges that the City and the Antioch Police Department have launched a campaign of harassment and intimidation against these residents and their landlords in an effort to reduce the African American Section 8 population and discourage other families receiving Section 8 assistance from moving to Antioch. Plaintiffs filed a class action complaint on July 16, 2008 and filed a motion for class certification on October 26, 2009.
Plaintiffs allege that the Antioch Police Department discriminates against African American Section 8 tenants on the basis of race and violates their constitutional rights by:
- conducting unlawful, warrantless searches of class members homes;
- engaging in heavy-handed police investigations of non-criminal activity;
- actively discouraging landlords from renting to Section 8 recipients; and
- soliciting complaints about class members from their neighbors.
The lawsuit primarily seeks injunctive relief, in the form of a court order forbidding the City from engaging in its discriminatory and unlawful practices.
Use the Related Materials links on right to access documents.
District Court Filings and Orders
- First Amended Complaint (filed July 16, 2008)
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification (filed October 26, 2009)
- Plaintiffs' Reply Brief in Support of Motion for Class Certification (filed December 18, 2009)
- Plaintiffs' Motion to Strike Portions of Defendant's Expert Opinions (filed December 18, 2009)
- Plaintiffs' Motion to Strike Exhibits and Portions of Declarations and Objections to Evidence (filed December 18, 2009)
News Articles
- "As Program Moves Poor to Suburbs, Tensions Follow"
New York Times, August 8, 2008
Describes challenges facing urban poor in the face of tightening housing market. Quotes Chief of Police of Antioch, California; and deputy director of National Low Income Housing Coalition. Cites article in the Atlantic Monthly and study by the Georgia Institute of Technology. - "Blacks’ suit accuses Antioch of discrimination"
San Francisco Chronicle, July 17, 2008
Outlines allegations, includes quotations from one of the plaintiffs, and a statement from the City of Antioch.