Sober House Zoning Violations Prompt Questions

A sober living house in Maryland has been repeatedly fined by the city for operating as a boarding house, begging the question, where can these facilities be located?

1 minute read

August 6, 2024, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Green highway exit sign for Thurmont, Maryland.

Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

The owner of a sober living home says the Maryland town of Thurmont is discriminating against him after the town imposed several fines for zoning violations, reports Skyler Sales for DC News Now.

Owner Korey Shorb, who has been running the house since 2017, “claims that the fines are discriminating against them because they are a sober living house, even though the house is protected through the federal Fair Housing Act.”

In a statement, the city’s attorney said “This zoning violation relates solely to the operation of the house by a business owner as a boarding facility in a single-family R-2 zone. The R-2 zone does not permit a boarding house use.”

The case poses a broader question for similar facilities that, while viewed as boarding houses in local zoning codes, provide a secure, long-term housing option for people who may have difficulty accessing other housing opportunities.

Friday, August 2, 2024 in DC News Now

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