Letter: Federal Law Allows for Regulation of Sober Houses Such as on West Road in New Canaan

Like many towns, New Canaan has been caught by surprise by the arrival of a recovery house/sober house on West Road. As a result the town suffers from a near complete lack of regulation of sober houses. Please note that the courts have recognized that the rights of the disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act do not mean that sober houses cannot be regulated. There have been at least five overdose deaths in Connecticut sober houses since 2014. It is unknown whether these tragic deaths were the result of the deadly pull of opioids or the lack of proper supervision and procedures within the sober house.