Settlement reached in Michigan housing discrimination case

DETROIT (AP) — Federal officials say they’ve reached an agreement with owners and operators of seven Michigan apartment complexes to resolve allegations that they discriminated against families with children.

The Justice Department and the U.S. attorney’s offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids announced the agreement last Thursday. It requires court approval and includes a settlement fund of $20,000 for victims and $5,000 in civil penalties paid to the government.

A federal lawsuit filed last year alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act in Lansing, East Lansing and other Lansing-area communities. It said that the rental manager and owners prohibited families with children from renting one-bedroom units in the apartment complexes.

The case came after the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan sent people to ask about rentals.