Idaho Fair Housing Act Lawsuit Against Riverwalk Condos
Author: U.S. Department of Justice
Published: 2009/08/27 - Updated: 2026/02/08
Publication Type: Announcement
Category Topic: Laws and Rights - Related Publications
Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This announcement documents an official U.S. Department of Justice legal action filed in federal court against Riverwalk Condominiums LLC for violations of the Fair Housing Act's disability accessibility requirements in Post Falls, Idaho. The information holds authority as a primary source government document detailing specific architectural barriers affecting wheelchair users, including inaccessible public areas, improperly mounted electrical outlets, and unusable kitchens and bathrooms in 18 ground-floor units of the 36-unit complex. The case originated from complaints filed with HUD by an apartment seeker and the Intermountain Fair Housing Council, making it valuable for people with disabilities, housing advocates, developers, and property managers who need to understand Fair Housing Act compliance requirements and the consequences of failing to meet accessibility standards in multi-family housing construction - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
Alleged Disability Based Housing Discrimination Against Riverwalk Condominiums
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the developer of the Riverwalk Condominiums, a condominium apartment complex in Post Falls, Idaho, for violating the Fair Housing Act by constructing apartments that do not have required accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
Main Content
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Idaho, charges that Riverwalk Condominiums LLC, the developer of the 36-unit condominium complex on Greensferry Road, failed to comply with the Fair Housing Act accessibility provisions which apply to 18 ground-floor units. Among other things, the complaint alleges that the public and common use areas are not accessible to people with disabilities; the routes to some units are not accessible; some kitchens and bathrooms are not fully usable by people in wheelchairs; and electrical outlets and environmental controls are mounted too high or too low for access by people in wheelchairs.
The lawsuit also alleges that the defendants' conduct constitutes a pattern or practice of discrimination or a denial of rights to a group of persons.
"Architectural barriers can be as big an obstacle to the housing rights of people with disabilities as an outright refusal to rent to them," said Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "Access to housing is a civil right, and the Justice Department is committed to correcting such violations of the Fair Housing Act."
The lawsuit arose from complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by an apartment seeker and by the Intermountain Fair Housing Council, a private, non-profit fair housing organization based in Boise, Idaho. After investigating the complaints, HUD issued a charge of discrimination. After the complainants named in HUD's charge elected to have the case heard in federal court, HUD referred the case to the Justice Department.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for those harmed by the defendants' actions, civil penalties and a court order requiring correction of the violations. This complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct. The allegations must still be proven in federal court. In order to ensure that the corrections can be made, the complaint names the complex's condominium association as a necessary party for relief under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. There is no allegation that the condominium association violated the law.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who may have information related to this lawsuit should contact the Justice Department.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: This case represents one of many enforcement actions that have shaped housing accessibility standards since the Fair Housing Act amendments of 1988 made disability discrimination in housing illegal. The lawsuit's pattern-or-practice allegations underscore how design failures in a single development can systematically exclude an entire class of people from housing opportunities. While the complaint named the condominium association as a necessary party for implementing corrections, the careful distinction that no violations are alleged against the association itself highlights the legal complexity of retrofitting accessibility into existing structures. For developers and architects, this case serves as a reminder that accessibility features must be integrated during initial construction planning rather than treated as afterthoughts - a principle that benefits not only wheelchair users but also seniors, parents with strollers, and temporarily injured individuals who navigate our built environment every day - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by U.S. Department of Justice and published on 2009/08/27, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.