In January 2018, WRP and the ACLU of Iowa filed an amicus brief with the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Housing Law Project, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, National Network to End Domestic Violence, and Shriver Center addressing the proper application of Iowa’s Right to Assistance Law. The law protects people who summon emergency assistance from eviction or other landlord- or city-imposed penalties and preempts local crime nuisance ordinances. It was enacted with the advocacy of the ACLU, Iowa Coalition, and others.

The New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is authorized to receive, investigate, hear, make findings and recommend action on civilian complaints against NYPD officers that allege misconduct involving excessive use of force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, or use of offensive language. In February 2018, the CCRB adopted a resolution to begin investigating complaints of sexual misconduct against NYPD officers (the “Sexual Misconduct Resolution”), instead of automatically referring them to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB), as was its practice. The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of New York (PBA), a union representing NYPD officers, brought a lawsuit challenging the Sexual Misconduct Resolution, as well as other CCRB rules, in New York Supreme Court.

The American Civil Liberties Union, along with a coalition of civil rights law firms, represent the National Fair Housing Alliance, Texas Low Income Housing Information Service, and Texas Appleseed in a federal lawsuit challenging HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s January 2018 decision to delay key portions of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule. The suit defends the AFFH Rule as a crucial tool for dismantling racial segregation and fair housing barriers for people of color, survivors of gender-based violence, people with disabilities, and low-income people.

Whether cities have standing to sue under the Fair Housing Act for the economic impact of discriminatory banking practices.