Members of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana whose homes are infested with mold won the right to pursue their case against the tribe's housing authority.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a class action filed on behalf of 153 families who live or lived in homes built with federal funds in the 1970s. Many are now suffering from cancer, asthma, kidney failure, respiratory problems and other ailments due to mold that developed in the homes.

The court, however, said the Blackfeet plaintiffs could not sue the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

An attorney for the plaintiffs says they will meet to discuss their next step in the case.

Get the Story:
Browning's bittersweet ruling (The Missoula News 7/27)

Court Decision:
Marceau v. Blackfeet Housing Authority (July 21, 2006)

Related Stories:
Court opens Blackfeet housing authority to lawsuit (7/24)
Reservation homes threatened by dangerous mold (05/16)
Navajo Nation homes contaminated with mold (03/02)
Reservation homes plagued by mold problems (12/03)
Judge dismisses suit over bad homes at Blackfeet (01/23)