Reported Discrimination in De Facto Muslim-Only Residential Development
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) has launched an investigation into EPIC Real Properties, Inc., and Community Capital Partners, LP for their planned Muslim housing development known as “The Meadow.” The Meadow, formally known as “EPIC City,” or the “East Plano Islamic Center,” may have violated the Fair Housing Act by engaging in religious and national origin discrimination.
“It is deeply concerning the East Plano Islamic Center may have violated the Fair Housing Act and participated in religious discrimination,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner. “As HUD Secretary, I will not stand for illegal religious or national origin discrimination in housing and will ensure that this matter receives a thorough investigation so that this community is open to all Texans.”
HUD received a complaint from the Texas Workforce Commission detailing a large-scale pattern of religious discriminatory conduct by the developers of The Meadow. The allegations include:
- Marketing materials that promoted the development as an exclusively “Muslim community” and that it would represent “the epicenter of Islam in America.”
- Discriminatory financial terms that required lot owners to subsidize a mosque and Islamic educational centers.
- A bias sales mechanism consisting of a two-tier lottery system for lot sales, which granted lot access to Tier One buyers.