Three residents at the Housing Authority of DeKalb County were given eviction notices due to accusations of having criminal charges. The residents of the Section 8 housing facility include three families and on elderly man who is mentally ill. The Atlanta Legal Aid Society represented the residents and claimed that their right to due process had been violated. The housing authority lost the case in the state court and their legal representative stated that they moved the case to federal court because it met all the criteria. The residents are claiming that the housing authority pursued unfair evictions based on criminal histories that were incomplete. Residents were allowed an informal hearing before the housing authority to explain the charges. The residents state that they were either exonerated of the charges or that they were falsely accused; or that the evictions were being based on charges brought against minors which had not yet been resolved.
The plaintiffs are seeking the reinstatement of their housing vouchers as well as compensatory damages. This includes the cost they incurred to relocate or rent that they incurred because of the eviction.
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