Recent Accomplishments Of The Housing And Civil Enforcement Section

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Recent Accomplishments Of The Housing And Civil Enforcement Section
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https://www.justice.gov/crt/recent-accomplishments-housing-and-civil-enforcem... ↗

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preliminary injunction, MOLI claims that the Town’s recently revised zoning code imposes more onerous parking requirements on houses of worship than on comparable nonreligious places of assembly like theaters, museums and libraries. MOLI alleges that the Town denied its application to expand its house of worship, relying on the Town’s recently revised parking code. The Department’s statement of interest supports MOLI’s argument that the zoning code treats religious uses less favorably than non-religious uses, in violation of RLUIPA’s equal terms provision, and that the Town has failed to justify this unequal treatment. This case settled before the court issued a ruling.
On March 18, 2025, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Sugar Grove Township, Pennsylvania, et al. (W.D. Pa.). The complaint, which was filed on January 30, 2025, alleges that Sugar Grove Township, PA (“Township”), and the Sugar Grove Area Sewage Authority (“SUGASA”) violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”) by enacting and enforcing two ordinances against Old Order Amish residents: one mandating that certain households connect to the Township’s and SUGASA’s municipal sewage system, which requires the use of an electric grinder pump, and one banning privies on property intended for permanent residence. The lawsuit alleges that these acts substantially burdened Old Order Amish residents’ religious exercise, which restricts the use of electricity and requires adherents to remain separate and apart from the modern world. The consent order requires the Township and SUGASA to exempt certain Old Order Amish households from mandatory connection to the municipal sewage system, permit Old Order Amish residents to use privies on their properties, and forgive any