A Queens County resident is suing the City of New York DSS/HRA/DHS, Home/Life Services Inc., Queens Family Residence LLC, and several officials, alleging civil rights violations and unsafe living conditions.
According to plaintiff Christopher Mungin, while living at the Queens Family Residence—operated by Home/Life Services Inc.—he was pressured by staff to provide medical records for himself and his daughter. He alleges that staff threatened to contact Child Protective Services when he refused. The filing also states that staff entered his unit without notice or consent, which he claims violated his right to privacy.
Mungin further asserts that his unit remained in disrepair for seven months after maintenance staff created a hole in his shower wall during an inspection for a leak, he says did not exist. He also alleges that housing specialist Jeffery Laurent falsely reported finding drugs and alcohol in his unit—a claim Laurent later retracted but had already documented.
In June 2023, Mungin says he reported theft from his unit, but defendant Desmond King refused to investigate or review surveillance footage. The complaint also cites water supply issues that were resolved only after Mungin sought help from his City Council member’s office.
The lawsuit includes claims under 42 U.S.C. §1983 for due process violations, coercion, and unlawful entry, as well as alleged Fair Housing Act breaches for retaliation and failure to maintain habitable conditions. Mungin also claims negligence in the management of the facility.
The plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief to prohibit retaliation and coercive practices, an order ensuring proper housing conditions, and transfer to safe alternative housing. He also requests attorney fees under 42 U.S.C. §1988.
The plaintiff is representing himself in this matter. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under case ID 1:25-cv-04277-LDH-VMS.