A Brooklyn resident has filed a federal lawsuit against the New York City Housing Authority and several of its employees, alleging that administrative errors involving her housing voucher placed her at risk of losing stable housing. The complaint asserts that NYCHA failed to properly issue and process an approved voucher, resulting in missed housing opportunities.
The plaintiff, Shedarian Butler-Jones, alleges that NYCHA approved her eligibility for a three-bedroom housing voucher but did not provide a physical voucher required to secure housing. According to the complaint, this failure caused the loss of multiple housing options. Butler-Jones further alleges that NYCHA did not process or document her repeated requests for reasonable accommodation related to her disabilities, which she states include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and neurological conditions. She also claims that a NYCHA walk-in center employee denied her assistance based on assumptions about her disability status.
The lawsuit states that Butler-Jones received notice warning that she would lose a secured apartment at 532 Neptune Avenue Apartments unless she submitted an updated voucher within a short deadline. Her prior lease had already expired, leaving her without confirmed housing. The complaint alleges violations of procedural due process under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and violations of federal and state human rights laws.
Butler-Jones seeks injunctive relief requiring the issuance of the approved housing voucher and protection against closure of her housing case while accommodation requests are pending. She also seeks compensatory damages of $250,000 for emotional distress and economic harm, punitive damages of $1.5 million against individual defendants, and declaratory relief recognizing alleged violations of her rights.
The plaintiff is representing herself 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-06738-RER-TAM.