Illinois village sued over low-income housing development

TINLEY PARK, Ill. (AP) - The U.S. Justice Department is suing the Illinois village of Tinley Park over allegations that officials there blocked construction of a low-income apartment complex amid "race-based community opposition."

The lawsuit filed Wednesday accuses the village trustees of tabling consideration of the project by the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation in February even though it met applicable building requirements. The lawsuit says the village's "actions were taken in response to community opposition based on the race and racial stereotypes of the prospective tenants."

Tinley Park Mayor Dave Seaman told the Chicago Tribune that any decisions about the housing development were not "based on race or any other inappropriate considerations."

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Chicago seeks to order Tinley Park to approve the development.