Federal Lawsuit Could Impact How Austin Landlords Screen People With Criminal Records

After Sand Castle, an apartment complex in Queens, New York, refused to rent to those with criminal records, The Fortune Society sued the complex’s management company in federal court in 2014. It argued that blanket bans on housing people with criminal backgrounds disproportionately affect black and Latino men and are therefore illegal. The federal case is ongoing, but if the judge rules in The Fortune Society’s favor, it could inform housing practices across the U.S.