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Villa Park council hears legal limits on local controls for sober‑living homes; public urges action
Summary
City Attorney Todd Litvin told the Villa Park City Council that federal and state law—citing the ADA and Fair Housing Act and recent Ninth Circuit rulings—severely limit what local governments can do about sober‑living homes; residents pressed the council for buffers, permits and state help, and the council agreed to agendize the issue next month for further discussion.
At the June 25, 2024 meeting of the Villa Park City Council, city legal staff briefed the public and council members on what local officials can and cannot do about so‑called sober‑living homes after residents raised concerns about a posted "coming soon" sign near Lincoln and Cedar Hill Circle.
Todd Litvin, the city attorney, told the council and audience that state and federal law constrain local regulation. "Addiction itself is deemed a disability under the American with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act," he said, adding that under prevailing court rulings, cities generally must treat houses that shelter six or fewer people as a single‑family residence. Litvin described recent litigation and said the Ninth Circuit has held that operators need not separately prove each resident's disability for the housing to receive federal protections.
Captain Patella, speaking for the county law enforcement…
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