Pottstown Borough Council will vote to authorize the borough solicitor to draft an amendment to the zoning code that will attempt to regulate “sober homes” for recovering addicts and alcoholics. According to a state database created by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Pottstown has more licensed recovery homes than the rest of Montgomery County combined. The 10 licensed homes are “just the tip of the iceberg,” according to borough officials who say most of such facilities are not licensed. Federal law prohibits states from regulating recovery homes because those in treatment for addiction or alcoholism are considered disabled and the federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discriminating against homes for people with disabilities. So, Pennsylvania created a licensing system with certain standards to be maintained that provides state funding for those participating in the voluntary licensing. But according to assistant borough solicitor Matt Hovey, state funding may not be much of an incentive given that the facilities, either licensed or unlicensed, “can be quite lucrative.” Hovey said the solicitors will try to craft an ordinance amendment that “threads the needle” and is more resistant to legal challenge than the current one, and focus on protecting nearby residents. Read more in the Pottstown Mercury.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 2/10/2024