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:
- 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."
- 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."
- 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."
- $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.