Kennedy Hunt P.C. recently filed a Fair Housing lawsuit against the Village of Woodridge of Illinois over allegations that the municipal corporation violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We are representing Oxford House, a not-for-profit corporation striving to provide individuals in recovery from alcoholism and drug addictions the opportunity to develop comfortable sobriety without relapse. Oxford House operates nearly 4,000 houses in the United States.
According to the lawsuit, the Village of Woodridge unlawfully interfered with our client’s operation and occupancy of dwellings for disabled persons recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction in violation of the FHA and ADA.
Per the lawsuit, Oxford Houses are individually self-run, self-supporting homes for individuals recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. Residents live together in a family-like environment and pay their pro rata share of rent and utilities each month to the house treasurer, who then pays the house bills.
Per the lawsuit:
The Village classified Oxford House properties as something other than single-family dwellings and applied its zoning code in a manner that interfered with Oxford House’s ability to open and operate houses in the Village. The Village refused to provide a reasonable accommodation by waiving the limitation on the number of unrelated persons permitted to reside together.
The lawsuit continues:
The quality and nature of the relationship among residents are akin to those of a family, providing the emotional and mutual support needed for their recovery. By living with other people in recovery, residents never have to face a recovering person’s deadliest enemies: loneliness and isolation.
According to the lawsuit, in January 2024 the Village of Woodridge sent a notice of violation to the owner of the home being used as an Oxford House, claiming it violated the Village’s zoning code. The letter stated that more than five (5) unrelated persons resided in the house, in violation of the Village’s definition of family.
In May 2024, an attorney for Oxford House sent a letter to the Village on behalf of the plaintiffs in this case. The letter requested that the Village make a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act by waiving the limit on the number of unrelated persons that could reside together as a family. In August, an attorney from the Village denied Oxford House’s accommodation request.
The lawsuit claims the Village’s actions above threaten Plaintiff’s residents – who are disabled under the FHA and ADA – with impending eviction and fines through discriminatory means.
This case is ongoing.
For more information, contact attorney Sarah Jane Hunt at sarahjane@kennedyhuntlaw.com. If you or someone you know has had their housing and/or disability rights violated, the skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim.