We are nationally known for our pioneering work starting in 1974 to bring rationality to the zoning for “community residences” for people with disabilities: group homes, halfway houses, and recovery communities.

Amend your zoning:
Amend Your Local or State Zoning for Community Residences
To Comply With the Nation’s Fair Housing Act

Comply with the Fair Housing Act and avoid costly litigation by replacing illegal excessive regulations on community residences for people with disabilities with rationally–based zoning provisions. We have helped scores of communities write zoning amendments for community residences that provide the maximum rational and legal regulation permissible under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988. We have not heard of any court decision invalidating any of the zoning regulations we have written for community residences. As part of our services we conduct a thorough study that provides the rational basis for the zoning amendments we write. This study is an essential component for surviving a court challenge. Courts often invalidate zoning requirements for a spacing distance between community residences as well licensing requirements because the jurisdiction fails to demonstrate a need for either requirement. Our studies document that need.

We have conducted workshops, seminars, and national conference sessions on zoning for community residences from Alaska to New York, even educating representatives from the attorneys general offices from all 50 states.

We have written the model zoning for community residences for the American Bar Association and the American Planning Association.

Click here for our attorney/planner Daniel Lauber’s experience with zoning for group homes and other community residences. Click here for his full resume.

Click here for Planning/Communications website with all the services we provide on display — plus loads of free resources you can download.

Get the facts:
Studies on the Impacts of Community Residences

We have conducted scientific research to determine whether or not community residences have any effect on property values — and have put together a short annotated bibliography of other reliable, scientific studies as well which you can download or view by clicking here. No matter which research technique they use, the studies have found that community residences that are licensed and not clustered on a block have absolutely no impact on property values, neighborhood safety, or community character.

Download a key scientific Illinois study on the impact of group homes on property values, property turnover, and neighborhood safety.

Basis for rational zoning:
How Zoning Can Legally Regulate Community Residences

While far too many cities and counties try to impose excessive regulations on community residences that fly in the face of the nation’s Fair Housing Act, far too many fair housing advocates insist that jurisdictions cannot regulate community residences at all. All too often jurisdictions allow community residences for some disabled populations, but not for others. But no jurisdiction can pick and choose which disabled populations are allowed and which are not.

The proper and legal zoning for community residences lies somewhere in the middle. To understand the rationale for zoning regulations for community residences as well as the limits of how far a city can go in regulating community residences for people with disabilities, download one of the most thorough and insightful law review articles that spells out the rationale for rational zoning restrictions on community residences for people with disabilities.

Legal representation:
Understand the zoning requirements before you apply

Many proposed community residences run into difficulty with local zoning because

• The operator of the proposed home and his usual attorney do not fully understand the local zoning requirements and the Fair Housing Act

• The operator of the proposed home does not know how to nurture the neighbors of his proposed community residence to win their support and prevent opposition

• The operator and her usual attorney do not have the expertise to present a successful case to the local government to win zoning approval administratively or by special use permit

• The operator and his usual attorney do not have the expert witnesses needed to win zoning approval if a public hearing is required

We have over 30 years experience winning zoning approval across the nation for community residences (group homes, halfway houses, and recovery communities) for people with disabilities. We have often convinced local officials to allow a community residence as a permited use allowed as of right rather than require a special use permit and the requisite public hearing. We have helped operators of proposed community residences nurture the neighbors to prevent neighborhood opposition and often win neighborhood support.

We have also served as expert witnesses before zoning boards and in both federal and state court in significant group home cases.

We have written the model zoning for community residences for the American Bar Association and the American Planning Association.

Click here for our attorney/planner Daniel Lauber’s experience with zoning for group homes and other community residences. Click here for his full resume.

Click here for our city planning and law website.

By contacting this website you are not creating an attorney-client relationship. Such a relationship would only come into being upon signing a written fee agreement. Moreover, no communication on this website should be considered privileged under the attorney-client privilege. Please be advised that there is no expectation of confidentiality regarding any communication you may send us in response to this website.