Prohibiting Eviction of Law-Abiding Citizens of Public Housing

WHEREAS, Federally funded public housing programs for the poor prohibit residents, and those living with them or visiting them, from engaging in illegal drug dealing and/or drug using conduct; and

WHEREAS, some of these public housing residents are unaware of the illegal drug dealing and/or drug using conduct of those living or visiting them; and

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court, on March 26, 2002 in Department of Housing and Urban Development v. Pearlie Rucker, 122 S. Ct. 1230, held that public housing authorities have the right to evict public housing residents who are unaware of the illegal drug dealing and/or drug using conduct of those living with or visiting them; and

WHEREAS, the eviction policy results in law-abiding citizens being evicted, and in many cases becoming homeless, and otherwise creates an undue hardship on law-abiding citizens.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National NAACP shall immediately call upon the United States Congress to enact legislation prohibiting the eviction of law-abiding public housing residents who are unaware of and uninvolved in illegal activities around them.