FHJC LAWSUIT ALLEGES DISCRIMINATION IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF BROOKLYN PROPERTIES

The Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) has filed a new lawsuit against Lay Assets Management & Development (Lay Assets), a major Brooklyn developer. The suit alleges that the company violated fair housing laws by building three new multi-family rentals that are inaccessible to New Yorkers with disabilities.

Other named Defendants are building developer/owners 1775 Coney Island LLC, 2442 Ocean Avenue LLC, and 2727 Homecrest LLC, and architectural firm Studio Gallos.

In 2024, the FHJC conducted an investigation at three of the Defendants’ Brooklyn properties: The Island at 1775 Coney Island Avenue, 2442 Ocean Avenue, and The Shore at 2733 East 12th Street. Together the properties comprise 225 units.

According to the complaint, the investigation revealed evidence of significant fair housing violations including:

• Inadequate maneuvering clearance: Common areas and unit kitchens lacking the necessary space for wheelchair users.
• Obstructed entryways: Doorway thresholds that are too high.
• Inaccessible features: In-unit balconies and building amenities requiring step-ups to access.
• Restricted common areas: Building amenities like roof decks and parking garages accessible only through a flight of stairs or too-narrow doors.
• Unreachable fixtures: Light switches, thermostats, and mailboxes mounted too high to reach.

Together, these and other flaws render bathrooms, kitchens, balconies, amenities, common areas, and entire apartments inaccessible to individuals with physical disabilities, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law.

In addition to monetary damages, the complaint seeks:

• Injunctive relief to end the discrimination.
• Retrofits to correct the inaccessible features at the subject properties,
• Modifications to the design and construction of properties currently planned or under construction.
• Fair housing training for defendants and their agents and employees.
• Other remedial actions to ensure compliance with fair housing accessibility requirements.

The suit was filed in the Eastern District of New York on June 18, 2026 and can be read in full HERE.

“When Congress passed the amendments to the Fair Housing Act in 1988, they stated that steps and thresholds at building or unit entrances send the same signal to persons using a wheelchair as a posted sign saying: ‘No Disabled People Allowed,’” said FHJC Legal Director David Berman. “Sadly, nearly 40 years later, developers remain all too willing to project that awful message.”

The FHJC is represented by Debra L. Greenberger, Hafsa S. Mansoor, and Diane L. Houk with Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP (ECBAWM).

 “This City is far too inaccessible for people with disabilities. We need more accessible housing. This suit seeks to make more accessible housing available and holds developers and architects accountable for violating the law,” said Ms. Greenberger, a partner at the firm.

The mission of the FHJC, a nonprofit civil rights organization, is to eliminate housing discrimination; promote policies and programs that foster open, accessible, and inclusive communities; and strengthen enforcement of fair housing laws in the New York City region.