Vivienda

La actora era una mujer casada que abandonó su hogar con sus dos hijos pequeños porque sentía que el marido le daba un tratamiento inhumano: le gritaba, retenía recursos financieros y le hacía tener constantemente temor a que la fuera a golpear o a quitarle los hijos. Pidió ayuda a la autoridad local habitacional para encontrar una vivienda. Como su marido nunca la había golpeado ni amenazado con dañarla físicamente, la autoridad habitacional se negó a ayudarla.

The appellant was a married woman who left her family home with her two young children because she felt her husband treated her as less than human. He yelled at her, withheld finances, and made her afraid he would hit her or take the children away. She went to the local housing authority for help finding accommodation. As her husband had never hit her or threatened to physically harm her, the housing authority refused to assist her. They believed that because there was no physical violence, it was reasonable for her to stay in the home.

El Consejo Metropolitano de Sandwell elaboró un nuevo plan tributario conforme a una reforma nacional del derecho impositivo. Previamente, las personas de bajos ingresos recibían asistencia financiera para el pago de los impuestos locales, pero de acuerdo con el plan nuevo la carga tributaria de las personas se reducía según su situación financiera.

The Sandwell Metropolitan Council formed a new tax plan pursuant to a national change in tax law. Previously, low-income persons would be given financial assistance to pay council taxes, whereas under the new plan, individuals’ tax liability was lowered based on financial status. The relevant statute stated that local authorities would create locally-tailored plans to determine tax liability by creating classes based on income, capital, and number of dependents.