Inspire Article

Challenging Selective Code Enforcement Policies in Lake Worth

07.29.2010
By Noelle Smith of Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County
Challenging Selective Code Enforcement Policies in Lake Worth picture

On the evening of March 8, 2006, seventeen families were forced out of their apartments by a team of police and code enforcement officers from the City of Lake Worth with 30 minutes notice. The families were only told that the building was being shut down and that if they did not leave they would be arrested. The families were shocked and scared by the surprise police and code enforcement activity. Many of the families had to sleep in their vehicles or on the floor of their relatives' homes. To make matters worse, the families were evacuated the night before FCAT testing.


Eight of the seventeen families sought assistance from the Florida Equal Justice Center and Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. Upon review of Code Enforcement documents, we learned that the building was being cited for many minor repairs that could have been fixed in lieu of a total evacuation of the building. Some of the violations included: furniture blocking entrances and exits, propane grills stored inside the apartments, overcrowding, and landscaping concerns.

Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County along with Florida Equal Justice Center, and Florida Legal Services joined forces and filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of eight (8) courageous Guatemalan families who lived at the apartment complex. The lawsuit alleged that the clients' constitutional and federal fair housing rights were violated. In September 2008, the case eventually settled and each of the eight families received $21,000. Most importantly, the City of Lake Worth agreed to limit nighttime code enforcement raids, revamp its code enforcement program, and provide information to residents about social services available in the event of an emergency evacuation.