Relman Colfax is proud to begin 2026 with a landmark civil rights victory, solidifying a 2016 discrimination verdict against a New York bank in Saint-Jean v. Emigrant Mortgage Co. In reaching this milestone, we acknowledge that we stand on the shoulders of advocates who began this work generations ago, the past and present dedication of our attorneys and brave plaintiffs, and the future-facing outlook of our team and allies constantly fighting for fairness. We invite you to celebrate with us: the history that has shaped our mission, the wins that continue to drive progress, and our shared vision for a more just, inclusive, and equitable society.
Honoring Our Allies Who Fought For Equality
As we began 2026, we took time to honor the legacy of those who bravely spoke out against injustice and created new paths for society to move forward and achieve progress.
January 31 marks the anniversary of the 1865 passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution through the House of Representatives. This amendment was the first of the Reconstruction Amendments, explicitly abolishing slavery, greatly expanding the civil rights of all Americans and setting our nation on a path toward equality.
Six decades later, Martin Luther King Jr.was born in January of 1929. His work was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He campaigned for years for an “open housing” law; his 1968 assassination spurred Congress to pass–and President Johnson to sign–the Fair Housing Act. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a federal holiday.
We also note that the fair housing work we do today would not be possible without trailblazers like Robert C. Weaver, the first African American appointed as a cabinet officer. Weaver made history, becoming the first secretary of the new Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in January of 1966. Throughout Weaver’s career, he achieved milestones critical to advancing fair housing. For six decades, HUD’s housing programs and civil rights enforcement have been invaluable in our mission to eliminate discrimination and segregation.
SCOTUS Declines Review, Solidifying 2016 Discrimination Verdict Against New York Bank
In a significant victory in the fight for fair lending, Relman Colfax secured a major victory for Black and Latino homeowners against New York-based Emigrant Bank and Emigrant Mortgage Company for discriminatory mortgage lending after a nearly fifteen-year-long court battle.
In January of 2026, the Supreme Court declined to grant certiorari on Emigrant’s appeal, ending a more than decade-long effort by Emigrant to escape accountability for predatory loans targeting homeowners of color. Homeowners will now receive $722,000 (plus post-judgment interest) in compensatory damages previously awarded at trial by a jury in the Eastern District of New York.
This victory followed a monumental jury verdict that took place ten years earlier. The June 2016 liability verdict was both the first case in which a jury held a bank accountable for lending practices that contributed to the country’s 2008 financial collapse, and the first reverse redlining case ever to be tried in federal court.
Between 1999 and 2008, Emigrant issued mortgage refinance loans under its STAR NINA program, which was designed exclusively for borrowers who had poor credit but significant equity in their homes. The bank purposely did not consider the borrower’s ability to repay the loan, and instead lent the money only to borrowers with poor credit ratings who had significant equity in their homes. Emigrant aggressively marketed STAR NINA loans to Black and Latino homeowners with poor credit in New York, resulting in a massive loss of equity and financial disaster for the plaintiffs, their families, and the communities.
In addition to bringing justice to the homeowners targeted by Emigrants, this decision serves as a crucial victory against predatory lending and a warning to other financial institutions. It also establishes key precedents on proving systemic discrimination, the application of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), the Fair Housing Act, and the New York City Human Rights Law, and extending the statute of limitations on civil rights claims through equitable tolling.
Saint-Jean v. Emigrant Mortgage Co.
The Relman Colfax team is led by Reed Colfax, Tara Ramchandani, Yiyang Wu, Lila Miller, and Ted Olds.
Moving Forward In Fight For Housing Justice One Year Later
Earlier this year, Relman Colfax filed a case on behalf of the Denton Housing Authority (DHA) alleging that the Providence Homeowners Association, Inc. (PHOA) and its property management company, First Service Residential Texas, Inc., violated the Fair Housing Act by engaging in intentional discrimination based on race and color against Section 8 Voucher holders.
PHOA and FirstService developed and implemented policies targeting Section 8 Voucher holders—93% of whom were Black families—by, among other things, barring them from renting housing within the community. The suit also alleges that the Board and management company failed to meaningfully respond to aggression and threats directed at Voucher holders.
Formed in 1970, DHA is a public agency that works with low-income families to find high-quality, affordable housing in Denton County neighborhoods. For years, DHA placed tenants in Providence Village. But as a result of the discriminatory conduct at Providence Village, many DHA clients moved out, and DHA lost fees when people left its service area or when they were not able to find new housing quickly.
There was substantial national press coverage of PHOA’s actions, including by HBO’s John Oliver (at 11:03 of the segment).
On January 5, 2026, the Court denied Defendants’ motion to dismiss.This decision ensures that the case will move forward, giving DHA and the residents it serves a meaningful chance to obtain justice.
The Court found that DHA had stated a plausible disparate treatment claim, finding, “Plaintiffs plausibly allege facts supporting the ultimate elements of disparate treatment: that the Voucher Ban was enacted because of the race of the voucher holders, not the means they use to pay rent.”
“The Denton Housing Authority remains a lifeline to families who are seeking safe housing. We hope that through this legal action, the Defendants will be held accountable, the rights of the families harmed will be vindicated, and justice will finally be made possible for those seeking it. Every family deserves to live in dignity and free from discrimination,” said Rebecca Livengood, Partner at Relman Colfax.
Denton Housing Authority v. Providence Homeowners Association Inc. et. al.
The litigation team consists of Rebecca Livengood, Glenn Schlactus, Soohyun Choi, Robert Hunter, and Miriam Pierson, with paralegal support from Jake Hogan.
Achieving Timely Approval In Battle For Disability Justice
Relman Colfax is proud to announce that on January 28, 2026, the Española City Council voted 5-2 to approve the Española Pathways Shelter’s (EPS) application for a five-year special use permit, allowing the shelter to continue providing overnight shelter to unhoused community members. The decision concludes more than sixteen months of review and comes at a critical moment as winter conditions intensify. Advocates and community leaders thanked the City Council for its action, noting that the approval provides long-needed certainty for the shelter, its staff, and the people who rely on its services during the coldest months of the year. EPS serves as a critical hub for crisis intervention and triage, helping people meet essential daily needs and connect to lifesaving care. The shelter offers meals, hygiene supplies, showers, and assistance obtaining IDs, as well as navigation to onsite medically assisted drug treatment, primary care, and mental health services.
In July 2025, EPS submitted a new permit application to continue its overnight services, following notice that its 2019 permit needed to be renewed. The City granted permission to continue operating while the new application was under review. The City’s Planning and Zoning Commission denied the application in August, despite clear evidence of the shelter’s positive impact, including serving 45 to 65 people per day who would otherwise be forced to sleep outside. After EPS appealed that decision, the City Council referred the matter to an independent hearing officer. Earlier in the month, the independent hearing officer recommended that EPS be allowed to continue its overnight operations, concluding that the shelter meets city zoning requirements and does not present a risk to public health or safety. With the Council’s adoption of that recommendation, EPS may continue providing overnight shelter services without interruption.
This case has been extensively covered throughout the state. You can read more in the Santa Fe New Mexican, KRQE, Los Alamos Reporter, Prism News, Abiquiu News, New Mexico Sun.
“Everyone deserves a safe place to sleep,” said Reed Colfax, Co-Managing Partner of the civil rights firm Relman Colfax. “The City’s decision provides the certainty needed for residents, particularly those with disabilities, and the staff responsible for providing critical services.”
The litigation team consists of Reed Colfax, Ted Olds, and Ashley Brickhouse.
Reflecting On The Past Of Redlining And Looking Towards The Future
This month, Co-Managing Partner Stephen Hayes was featured on The Consumer Finance Podcast. Joining host Chris Willis and Troutman Pepper Locke’s Lori Sommerfield, Stephen discussed the ways redlining has traditionally been defined, how redlining was defined and applied during the Biden administration, and how it may return under a future administration or in cases brought by state regulators or private litigants.
This insightful episode further invites listeners to explore timely issues like digitally targeted advertising and what shifting regulatory priorities under the current administration may mean for future redlining enforcement risk.
We encourage you to listen to the full episode and learn more about where redlining law has been and where it may be headed next.
Understanding Your Rights To Accessible, Affordable Housing
This month, Access Ready Strategic, an independent, cross-disability advocacy organization, released a timely list of vital policy and public interest positions to inform affected communities. Included on that list was a guide authored by Michael Allen and Tim Lambert to inform the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force on accessible, affordable housing. The guide can be useful for organizations and cities across the nation and can ensure legal standards are met when designing housing that is required to be accessible. We encourage all of our allies in this space to familiarize themselves with the information in this guide. If you are interested in diving deeper, Relman Colfax also offers the following resources:
- Campaign for Accessible Housing Flyer
- Campaign for Accessible Housing Fact Sheet
- ILCSC v. City of Los Angeles
- Access Living v. City of Chicago
Continuing Our Fight For Civil Rights & Closing Thoughts
On January 28, a year after the Biden Administration formally confirmed that the Texas General Land Office (GLO) had diverted funding for crucial flood relief remediation away from Black and Latino neighborhoods in the greater Houston area, the Trump Administration announced that it has closed the matter and rescinded its previous findings of civil rights violations.
After Relman Colfax filed an administrative complaint with HUD on behalf of Texas Housers alleging that the GLO allocation plan and criteria for selections of recipients of the mitigation funding violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act, HUD conducted an investigation of the claims. HUD issued a supplemental letter of findings under Title VI containing new investigative information that GLO had not previously disclosed. HUD referred its findings to the United States Department of Justice, along with a referral of the Fair Housing Act investigation, saying that its investigation had revealed “that GLO engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminatory actions based on race and national origin that rise to a level of general public importance.”
We believe this sudden reversal stems from political pressure put on federal agencies by the current administration to dismantle civil rights law and create further division in our nation. While we are disheartened, we are not disencouraged. We will continue to call out these shameful decisions and find new pathways forward to fight for justice.
Learn more about Texas Housers v. State of Texas and Texas General Land Office.
As we reflect on the civil rights battles of the past and present, we are reminded of Frederick Douglass’s advice: power concedes nothing without a demand. We must continue demanding accountability, no matter how long the battle. Justice can only be achieved, and most importantly, maintained, through an unyielding effort to protect civil rights. We appreciate your support and allyship in this commitment.
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