Smithtown Caves in on Lawsuit and Gives $925,000 to Section 8 Applicants (Long Beach: for rent, how much)

[I_Love_LI_but]

Smithtown settles minority housing rights lawsuit -- Newsday.com

Smithtown has agreed to a settlement in a class-action lawsuit that contended the town was not fair to nonresident minorities in its federal Section 8 housing program.

The lawsuit contended that the town's policy of giving people who reside or work in the town preference for rent subsidy vouchers gave whites an unfair advantage because the town is 93 percent white. The suit was filed in 2007 on behalf of four plaintiffs by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.

A $925,000 settlement will be put into escrow until an impartial officer can determine how many voucher applicants were affected by the town's Section 8 process

They caved in fast too! Settling something like this in less than 2 years is lightening speed when it comes to lawsuits!

Wow! So I think every municipality that has a preference to give Section 8 vouchers to current residents or people who work in the municipality better watch out or the sharks will be circling to get them.

Now once the Section 8 recipients receive their lawsuit windfall will they still be eligible for Section 8? I bet they will be if political correctness is going to go full circle on this one. And I bet they won't have to pay taxes on the lawsuit winnings either. What a world!

[I_Love_LI_but]

Smithtown man arrested on gun charge -- Newsday.com

I wonder if he bought the assault pistol after hearing where his tax money was going ...

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by I_Love_LI_but

Smithtown settles minority housing rights lawsuit -- Newsday.com

Smithtown has agreed to a settlement in a class-action lawsuit that contended the town was not fair to nonresident minorities in its federal Section 8 housing program.

The lawsuit contended that the town's policy of giving people who reside or work in the town preference for rent subsidy vouchers gave whites an unfair advantage because the town is 93 percent white. The suit was filed in 2007 on behalf of four plaintiffs by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.

A $925,000 settlement will be put into escrow until an impartial officer can determine how many voucher applicants were affected by the town's Section 8 process

They caved in fast too! Settling something like this in less than 2 years is lightening speed when it comes to lawsuits!

Wow! So I think every municipality that has a preference to give Section 8 vouchers to current residents or people who work in the municipality better watch out or the sharks will be circling to get them.

Now once the Section 8 recipients receive their lawsuit windfall will they still be eligible for Section 8? I bet they will be if political correctness is going to go full circle on this one. And I bet they won't have to pay taxes on the lawsuit winnings either. What a world!

You're right about the income tax situation (no, I'm NOT taking sides here!) but who knows how much money will end up in their hands, after the attorneys get their share? Class action suits often don't result in large payments to the actual plaintiffs.

So how do they define "nonresident minorities"??
Does that mean illegals??

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by Elke Mariotti

So how do they define "nonresident minorities"??
Does that mean illegals??

No, not illegal aliens. Just people who do not already live in the town and are considered "nonresidents" of Smithtown.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by Elke Mariotti

but who knows how much money will end up in their hands, after the attorneys get their share? Class action suits often don't result in large payments to the actual plaintiffs.

True that. The attorneys will take the lion's share as usual. That's how these lawsuits get pushed through, because the rich will get richer and they know it.

[Smash255]

Originally Posted by Elke Mariotti

You're right about the income tax situation (no, I'm NOT taking sides here!) but who knows how much money will end up in their hands, after the attorneys get their share? Class action suits often don't result in large payments to the actual plaintiffs.

So how do they define "nonresident minorities"??
Does that mean illegals??

The term non-resident has nothing to do with the legal status, it means that they don't live in the Town of Smithtown. Outside of the low populated Town of Shelter Island and Town of Southold, the Town of Smithtown has BY FAR the smallest minority population of all the towns, Long Beach & Glen Cove (less than 1/2 of anywhere else)

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by Smash255

The term non-resident has nothing to do with the legal status, it means that they don't live in the Town of Smithtown. Outside of the low populated Town of Shelter Island and Town of Southold, the Town of Smithtown has BY FAR the smallest minority population of all the towns, Long Beach & Glen Cove (less than 1/2 of anywhere else)

Thanks for the clarification; I was uncertain regarding the interpretation.
I know Smithtown is not very "diverse", so your explanation makes "perfect sense"...

[nbres]

Great News.

Smithtown needs more diversity.

[headendtech]

NBRES, YOU TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY, I DONT CARE HOW MUCH MONEY you have or what color you are if you can afford to live here fine but when you start bringing in section 8 comon !!!!they always point to color and minorites give me a break.. When is someone going to stop , this backward ,uneducated thinking and stop it...

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by headendtech

NBRES, YOU TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY, I DONT CARE HOW MUCH MONEY you have or what color you are if you can afford to live here fine but when you start bringing in section 8 comon !!!!they always point to color and minorites give me a break.. When is someone going to stop , this backward ,uneducated thinking and stop it...

Obviously there are landlords willing to accept rent subsidy programs - maybe they need the money? Or maybe they are investors who picked up a bargain and are now making a buck renting out the house(s)?