Hinsdale to pay $800K for trying to block sober housing

Chicago’s ritzy western suburb of Hinsdale will pay a six-figure sum to settle a lawsuit claiming the village is guilty of housing discrimination after it tried to block a sober living facility operator from moving into town.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the Village of Hinsdale will pay $800,000 to settle a lawsuit with Trinity Sober Living over the village’s attempt to use local zoning laws to prevent the organization from using a Hinsdale home, ABC 7 reported.

The legal battle began in 2019 after Trinity founder Michael Owen bought a home on the village’s west side to house people struggling with addiction and provide them support. Owen said he was upfront with the village about his intent throughout the process, and multiple people told him they supported the facility’s mission. Yet some village residents didn’t want it near their properties.

“My neighbors have told me, ‘Oh it’s a great thing that you’re doing,’ but nobody wants it in their backyard,” Owens told the outlet.

In response to neighbors’ objections, the Village of Hinsdale filed a complaint against Trinity in DuPage County, claiming the home was in violation of zoning regulations that forbid more than three non-family member residents from living in the same home. Owens countered with a federal lawsuit, which the Department of Justice joined on his behalf, claiming discrimination because his operation was protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.

Owens said the house would have a full-time manager and residents will be required to hold a job and attend support meetings outside of the home.

The settlement, which still needs to be approved by a federal court, will also require the village to amend its zoning ordinance to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. Trinity gave up on the Hinsdale project, selling the property it had bought two years ago and subsequently opening a sober living home for men in suburban Bensenville instead.

— Victoria Pruitt