Anderson

The plaintiffs’ complaint of June 12,1975 seeks declaratory and injunctive relief against the Secretary of Agriculture, Earl L. Butz. The jurisdiction of the court is grounded upon 28 U.S.C. §§ 1337 ; 1361. The essence of the plaintiffs’ claim is that Secretary Butz has improperly included rent subsidies paid by Housing and Urban Development in calculating income for food stamp purposes. Each of the named plaintiffs, Jackie Anderson, Margaretta Grant, Shana Wallace, and Lilly Riego, occupy housing subsidized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Each plaintiff is the head of a household qualified for food stamp coupons under the Federal Food Stamp Act, 7 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq.

CLASS CERTIFICATION:

The plaintiffs contend the number of persons similarly situated to themselves is so numerous as to make joinder impossible and therefore undertake to bring the proceeding as a class action under the provisions of Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. But plaintiffs would restrict the class to all low income residents of the State of California who are tenants of housing subsidized in accordance with Section 23 of the Housing Act of 1937 as amended, or…