Minneapolis Real Estate Blog

In an effort to preserve property values and retain the kid friendly character of their neighborhoods, hundreds of people have petitioned the St Paul City Council over the last year to limit sober houses. Residents of certain areas of St Paul, such as Merriam Park, have complained that the density of facilities that house recovering alcoholics and addicts has gotten to be a public nuisance.

New sober houses will be prohibited in St. Paul, unless approved by the City Council, under a resolution that passed unanimously Wednesday.

“This issue has evolved in the last few years, and all I’m trying to do is to see what we can do,” said Council Member Jay Benanav. By some estimates,  St. Paul has more than 50 sober houses, private residences set up for people recovering from alcohol or chemical dependence.

Most cities, including St. Paul, limit the number of unrelated people living in a residence, but sober houses are excluded from such restrictions, in accordance with the 1988 Amendments to the Federal Fair Housing Act.

There are sure to be legal challenges to the new City Council Regulations, because Alcoholics and Addicts are protected from discrimination by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Numerous communities around the country have tried to regulate so called sober houses, but each time the regulations have been struck down by the courts as unconsitutional.