Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association filed suit today against the Wilmington, Delaware Housing Authority in the case Jane Doe v. Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA). The case centers around the WHA's unconstitutional gun ban amongst its tenants, which denies these public housing residents their Second Amendment rights.

“This is a clear case of discrimination against housing authority residents. It’s illegal, shameful and wrong to deny residents their constitutional rights, and it could have serious life or death consequences,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “Self-defense is a fundamental, God-given right that every law-abiding American is afforded -- no matter their tax bracket, zip code or street address.”

Wilmington Housing Authority leases contain provisions that prohibit residents from possessing a firearm. Such a restriction is unconstitutional. Thousands of Delaware’s most vulnerable residents live in some of the state’s most dangerous neighborhoods, and have been prohibited from possessing firearms to defend themselves from the drug dealers and thugs who infest their communities. Those who reside on WHA properties risk being evicted should they exercise their Second Amendment freedoms and violate the gun ban, which for many families would mean living on the streets.

NRA has long fought this battle both in the courts and in legislatures around the country, from San Francisco to Washington D.C. NRA has also worked to remove related language from Newark Housing Authority leases.

“A person shouldn't be forced to give up Second Amendment rights just to have a place to live," concluded Cox. “Many public housing projects are high-crime areas where people most desperately need the right to defend themselves.”

-NRA-

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.