The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked to join a legal challenge against the City of Evanston's housing program, which provides financial grants to Black residents.

美國司法部 (DOJ) 要求加入一項針對 Evanston 市房屋計劃的法律挑戰，該計劃旨在向黑人居民提供財務補助。

The legal case began in May 2024, started by the organization Judicial Watch on behalf of six non-Black residents. These individuals claim that being excluded from the program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The DOJ has formally requested to join the case, asserting that giving public benefits based on race is unconstitutional and breaks the Fair Housing Act. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon emphasized that the program is illegal race discrimination because the city did not require proof of individual harm.

此法律案件始於 2024 年 5 月，由 Judicial Watch 組織代表六名非黑人居民發起。這些人士聲稱被排除在計劃之外違反了第十四修正案的平等保護條款。司法部已正式要求加入此案，主張根據種族提供公共福利是不符合憲法的，且違反了《公平住房法》。助理總檢察長 Harmeet K. Dhillon 強調，由於市政府並未要求提供個人受損證明，因此該計劃屬於非法種族歧視。

Started in 2019 and launched in 2021, the Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program gives grants of up to $25,000 to Black residents or their descendants who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969. The city identifies this period as a time of systemic housing discrimination. The program is funded by local cannabis taxes, and more than $7 million has been paid out so far. These funds must be used for property costs, such as down payments, although some critics argue this actually helps the banks that originally practiced discrimination.

「本地補償恢復性房屋計劃」始於 2019 年並於 2021 年啟動，為 1919 年至 1969 年間居住在 Evanston 的黑人居民或其後代提供最高 25,000 美元的補助金。市政府將此時期定義為系統性房屋歧視的時代。該計劃由當地大麻稅資助，至今已撥款超過 700 萬美元。這些資金必須用於房產成本（如首付款），但部分批評者認為這實際上是在幫助原先實行歧視的銀行。

On the other hand, the City of Evanston and program leaders, including Robin Rue Simmons, maintain that the program is legal. They assert that the initiative addresses real harms, such as unfair zoning laws, that specifically affected Black neighborhoods. Furthermore, they point to data showing a 13-year difference in life expectancy between Black and white districts. Mayor Daniel Biss affirmed that the city will defend the program in court, while supporters suggest the federal government is trying to stop other cities from starting similar programs.

另一方面，Evanston 市及計劃領導者（包括 Robin Rue Simmons）堅持該計劃合法。他們主張此倡議旨在解決真實的損害，例如專門影響黑人社區的不公平分區法。此外，他們指出數據顯示黑人區與白人區的預期壽命相差 13 年。市長 Daniel Biss 確認市政府將在法庭上為該計劃辯護，而支持者則認為聯邦政府是試圖阻止其他城市啟動類似計劃。

The federal government's request to join the case is still waiting for a court decision while the City of Evanston continues to defend its reparations program.

聯邦政府要求加入此案的申請仍在等待法院決定，而 Evanston 市則繼續為其補償計劃辯護。