Rainier Vista project will proceed
Federal judge denies request for injunction, declares that delay
is not in the public interest
SEATTLE-- October 23, 2002--Federal judge John Coughenour has
declined to grant an injunction that would halt progress on the
redevelopment of Rainier Vista by the Seattle Housing Authority. In
a 14-page ruling handed down on Friday, October 18, Coughenour
asserted that the public interest would not be served by delaying
demolition of 133 vacant buildings containing 290 units of
distressed public housing on the west side of Martin Luther King,
Jr. Way, in Southeast Seattle.
"This is a joyous day for the residents of
Rainier Vista," said Executive Director Harry Thomas.
"They now have important assurance that this project will move
forward and they will be able to move back to a redeveloped and
renewed community."
The housing authority plans to begin the
demolition for Phase I of the project as soon as the city permits
are issued. A contract for demolition has already been awarded.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit sought an injunction that would
"preserve the status quo while requiring the defendants to
conduct an adequate environmental review and assess the fair housing
impacts of its proposed actions." In the ruling issued by the
court, the judge cited a number of factors that led him to conclude
that the project should proceed, including:
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Public interest in low-income housing:
"First, the public has a strong interest in its public housing
infrastructure. This infrastructure must serve many generations
of tenants. The public, which includes future generations of
tenants, has an interest in quality, structurally-sound
low-income public housing. Plaintiff's make no discernable
effort to dispute the severely distressed condition of the
existing Rainier Vista structures."
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Replacement plan in place:
"Second, plaintiff's
concede that the Authority has 'ostensibly committed' to
one-for-one replacement of units affordable to very low-income
families and individuals. Thus, the Rainier Vista project will
not result in a net-loss of such units citywide."
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Interest of Rainier Vista residents: "Third, the
Court is particularly concerned with the burdens and hardships a
preliminary injunction would impose on the approximately 600
Rainier Vista residents who have already relocated. These
residents have weathered several years of planning and anxiety,
relocation counseling and relocation to other public housing
units citywide. ... the longer Rainier Vista sits vacant,
the longer the relocation units remain occupied."
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$35 million grant threatened:
The court was
particularly concerned that an injunction would "threaten
the $35 million HOPE VI grant for the redevelopment of Rainier
Vista."
According to SHA's General Counsel James Fearn, this ruling
lifts any limitation the housing authority faced as a result of the
lawsuit." There are still some questions regarding the role of
the City and the role of HUD in the Environmental Assessment, but
the outcome on these questions should not delay the project
further."
The lawsuit was originally brought against the
Seattle Housing Authority, the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) and the City of Seattle. Plaintiffs in the suit
include two Rainier Vista residents, the Seattle Displacement
Coalition and the Friends of Rainier Vista.
To learn more about the Rainier Vista redevelopment,
click
here to visit the Development section of our Web site.
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