Rehab home sues city over ordinance

The drug and alcohol rehabilitation center Newport Coast Recovery has filed a federal lawsuit against Newport Beach, claiming city laws discriminate against recovering drug addicts.

The lawsuit claims a city ordinance aimed at curbing the spread of sober living homes in the city violates state and federal disability law.

“Newport Coast Recovery is a victim of an ordinance that targets housing for persons with disabilities, the result of which is to deny needed housing and programs for recovering alcoholics and substance abusers,” Steven Polin, an attorney for Newport Coast Recovery said in a written statement. “This is an unfortunate example of a city government allowing the illegal prejudices of its constituency to deny housing to persons with disabilities.”

In January, Newport Coast Recovery became the first drug and alcohol recovery home denied a use permit in Newport Beach under a controversial ordinance to regulate the homes the city adopted last year.

The home was denied a permit on the grounds that it was too close to Newport Elementary School and two businesses that sell alcoholic beverages.

There were too many other rehabilitation homes in the neighborhood, a city independent hearing officer ruled.

The rehabilitation home, a 29-bed, men’s treatment home that runs out of a seven-unit apartment building at 1216 W. Balboa Blvd., has since appealed the ruling. A hearing on the matter is slated for July 7.

— Brianna Bailey