The City of Annapolis has reached a tentative $15 million settlement in two federal lawsuits filed by public housing residents who alleged decades of substandard conditions, including mold, lead, and pest infestations, in buildings owned and managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA).
The class-action suit was brought by more than 1,400 current and former residents. A second related suit was filed by representatives of a former resident who died. Both cases, originally filed in 2021, alleged that the city failed to keep public housing units habitable and discriminated against Black residents, who make up roughly 90% of the affected tenant population. The plaintiffs said they were exposed to lead, mold, and chronic pest infestations and that years of complaints went unaddressed.
The agreement, announced May 19 and reported May 26 by The Daily Record and The Baltimore Banner, must still be approved by a federal judge, and city officials said additional conditions remain to be resolved before the framework is submitted for approval.