The Supreme Court’s Ruling in Edmonds v. Oxford House: Implications for Group Homes

In a 1995 case, City of Edmond v. Oxford House, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a municipal ordinance establishing the maximum number of unrelated individuals who could reside in a single family home could be challenged by operators of a group home as discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act. The author explains that the ruling is important because such ordinances have been used as a barrier to the sitting of some types of community residences for people who have mental disabilities. The author discusses implications and practical consequences of this ruling.