A federal appeals panel said New York’s Westchester County is "engaging in total obstructionism" after promising to build affordable housing eight years ago that can be marketed to nonwhites.
The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by lawyers for Westchester County. A lower court had found in 2016 that Westchester violated a consent decree reached in 2009 with the Department of Justice. The appeals court said, "The county would be well-advised to stop making excuses and to complete its obligations under the consent decree with diligence and dispatch.” Westchester County spokesman Ned McCormack said the county was surprised by the court’s comments and that the county has worked with a new monitor and consultant to complete its remaining obligations. McCormack says, "We are confident the remaining requirements can be met and the settlement concluded in a timely manner.”
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