Burr Ridge May Limit Unrelated People In Homes

BURR RIDGE, IL – Burr Ridge may change the definition of "family" for the purposes of its code, permitting the village to crack down on homes with a certain number of unrelated people.

The village is looking at defining "family" to lower the number of unrelated people allowed to live in a house. The current limit is five.

That definition would be in addition to the current language of a family being "two or more persons related by blood, marriage or legal adoption living together as a single housekeeping unit."

According to a village memo, the village has experienced code enforcement issues of more than five unrelated people living together in one single-family home.

In these situations, people rent rooms from the property owner, who often does not live in the home, the village said.

"This type of arrangement is more closely aligned to a board, rooming or lodging house and creates issues in otherwise single-family residential neighborhoods," the memo said.

Village staff is asking the Village Board to direct the issue to the Plan Commission for a public hearing. The board is set to vote on the issue at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Village Hall.

In Hinsdale, the village limits homes to three unrelated people.

Three years ago, Hinsdale tried to enforce the rule against a group home for men with addictions.

That drew lawsuits from the home's owner and the federal government, which accused the village of violating the Fair Housing Act.

A few months ago, the village settled the lawsuits with a consent decree. Under its terms, Hinsdale paid $790,000 to Trinity Sober Living, which ran the home.

The board also agreed to Fair Housing Act training and changes to its code to accommodate group homes.