FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1996                           (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


    JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMS JOLIET, ILLINOIS CONDOMINIUM WAS
     NOT BUILT TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In its first suit against an inaccess-
ible condominium in the midwest, the Justice Department today
sued the builders and architect of an Illinois complex alleging
it was built without access for people with disabilities.  
     The Department sued after a woman using a wheelchair
complained she could not find any accessible units there.  The
suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, alleged that the
Golfview Estates in Joliet was not designed or built to provide
access, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.  
     "The law is clear, and so is the violation.  It's better to
build it right from the start than to have to fix it later," said
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick.
     Under the law, which Congress amended in 1988, multi-family
housing complexes with four or more units built for first
occupancy after March 1991 must include certain features designed
to make the units accessible to people with disabilities.
     "This case represents the first allegation of 'pattern or
practice' discrimination under the accessibility provisions of
the Fair Housing Act," said James B. Burns, U.S. Attorney in
Chicago.  "We are pleased to take the lead not only in seeking
redress in this case, but also in assuring that builders and
designers provide housing that meets accessibility requirements."
     Today's complaint alleged that the 28 ground floor units in
the partially-completed 28-building complex had doors that were
too narrow for wheelchairs, lighting and heating controls that
were not reachable, and bathrooms without reinforcement so that
grab bars could be installed for people using wheelchairs.
     The Justice Department learned about the condominium after
Pam Heavens, a woman who uses a wheelchair, sought to purchase a
unit there.  Heavens, who complained that she could not maneuver
around the units or enter the bathroom or bedroom, contacted the
Joint Enforcement for Disability Access (JEDA) Project at Access
Living of Metropolitan Chicago, a center for independent living,
which last April notified the Department.    
     "The law exists to prohibit discrimination against people
with disabilities," added Patrick.  "Building a door that is too
narrow is like slamming it shut on people with disabilities."
     Burns noted that the Fair Housing Act covers all units in a
multi-family building with an elevator and all ground floor units
and public areas in buildings without elevators--such as
Golfview.  In those units all doors must be wide enough for
wheelchairs, there must be accessible routes throughout, light
switches, electrical outlets and thermostats must be reachable,
bathroom walls must be reinforced so grab bars can be installed,
and there must be sufficient space in kitchens and bathrooms for
people in wheelchairs to maneuver.
     Since the law went into effect, the Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) has released guidelines and offered
technical assistance to builders and developers about the law. 
     "For six years we have reached out to builders to educate
them about the law.  Now it's time for them to comply," added
Patrick.
     Today's suit seeks a court order requiring the builder to
construct the remaining unfinished portions of the complex so
that the ground units are accessible, seeking unspecified damages
for anyone who may have been injured by the discriminatory
conduct, and requiring the defendants to pay civil penalties,
which under the law could amount to up to $50,000.
     Heavens now lives in one of the ground units, which the
defendants eventually agreed to make accessible for her.
     Last month the Justice Department sued the Days Inn hotel
chain for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
because none of the newly built hotels that the Department
investigated were built in compliance with the law.  One of the
individual hotels sued is situated in Champaign.  The ADA, which
applies to public accommodations, such as hotels, contains
provisions requiring that facilities be built to provide access.
     Today's suit names Golfview Estates, Inc., the corporation
that developed and sold the units; Charles S. Crescenzo and
Daniel Saenz, the principal officers and builders of Golfview;
and, Kenneth Bartels and Alphonse G. Guajardo, who allegedly
designed the complex. 
     "If they all share the blame for the problem, they must
share the burden of the solution," added Burns.

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