City of Chattanooga fined by DOJ for federal housing violations

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The city of Chattanooga has settled with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on a violation of the Fair Housing Act. 

The DOJ says in 2020, the city of Chattanooga unnecessarily required non-profit Quality Lifestyle to apply for a special use permit to run a four-person transitional home in Highland Park. 

Quality Lifestyle helps provide a stable living situation for individuals dealing with mental illnesses. 

The DOJ says by requiring this extra permit, the city violated both the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Administrator of Quality Lifestyle, Ursula Edwards said she is glad justice has been served in this case. 

Edwards said, “We’re actually funded through federal funds that tripled from the City of Chattanooga. We received grants and received funding for housing, and to have that barrier there, it was very devastating.”

The city will have to pay over $30,000 in penalties and has agreed to retrain staff to make sure housing opportunities are not denied to persons with disabilities.

We reached out to the city for comment but have not yet heard back.