A federal judge ruled against the State of Indiana in how it has attempted to regulate residential recovery homes via the state building code.
The residential recovery homes included Place of Grace and Harmony Home of Huntington, and Inspiration Ministries in DeKalb County. Next Step Recovery Home in Dubois County was also a part of the suit, according to the ACLU which brought the lawsuits.
The recovery homes allow those working toward sobriety to live together in a family-style setting for support.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled that Indiana cannot treat residential recovery homes as anything other than homes.
The state had imposed additional regulations on the homes, such as sprinkler systems. But Pratt says those additional regulations discriminate against those with disabilities.
She ordered the state to permanently treat the homes as normal residential structures, without requirements such as sprinkler systems.
An email seeking comment from both the Indiana Attorney General and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security has not been yet returned.
