What can I do if I am unhappy with the written decision by the review hearing?

If you are unhappy with the decision made at the review hearing, and want to challenge it, ask your lawyer and/or the hearing officer how to challenge. Usually, if you lose your informal hearing, you cannot continue to challenge the denial of government housing at the Public Housing Authority (PHA) level. Most likely, the only way for you to continue to challenge the denial after losing your informal review hearing is to sue the Public Housing Authority in court.[1372] This is a complex decision—contact a lawyer for help (see a list of legal aid offices that may be able to assist on PG. 1127.

  1. 1372

    You could bring an action for federal civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which has a three-year statute of limitations, to challenge a decision on fair housing or due process grounds, and also sometimes on the grounds that the decision is contrary to applicable federal law. This is a field of law that is very complicated. It is unclear whether you can use § 1983 to make a challenge that a decision lacks substantial evidence, or that the officer did not exercise discretion properly. The state certiorari statute is necessary, especially if your challenge focuses on the failure of the housing program to comply with agency procedures and policies. ↑