United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced the entry of a preliminary injunction on consent in a civil rights lawsuit against the TOWN OF BEEKMAN (“BEEKMAN”), in Dutchess County, requiring BEEKMAN to allow the opening of a sober home for women in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. The injunction, signed today by U.S. District Judge Jessica G.L. Clarke, comes as a result of a complaint filed by the Office against BEEKMAN on March 5, 2026, and an application for a preliminary injunction filed on April 27, 2026.
“SDNY will continue to fight for the rights of people with disabilities to be housed safely, and to recover money damages for those injured by interference with fair housing rights,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Sober homes serve an important role in helping people with what is all too often a tragic disability—being addicted to drugs or alcohol. We appreciate Beekman’s willingness to settle this issue.”
According to the Complaint filed in federal court in White Plains on March 5, 2026, BEEKMAN refused to allow Patrick Potter (“Potter”) to operate Bunkhouse, a sober living home in the Town for the benefit of male veterans, first responders, and family members of veterans or first responders. After waiting over one year for BEEKMAN to approve the first Bunkhouse application, Potter submitted another application for a special use permit and site plan approval in April 2025, which BEEKMAN ignored.
After the Complaint was filed on March 5, 2026, however, Potter submitted a third application, this time for a sober home for female residents at the same property under the name Hudson Valley Collective, or HVC. On October 16, 2026, BEEKMAN’s Planning Board approved the HVC application and agreed to waive dozens of requirements applicable to “alternate care facilities,” and, in the injunction approved earlier today by Judge Clarke, agreed to waive additional conditions to allow HVC to open and begin accepting residents.
Under the terms of the preliminary injunction, BEEKMAN agrees to allow Potter to open and operate HVC, at first for up to four residents then potentially growing to eight residents depending upon the application of certain New York State and Dutchess County requirements, along with an on-site staff person. The lawsuit remains pending, as the preliminary injunction against BEEKMAN does not resolve the United States’ contention that BEEKMAN’s classification of the property as an “alternate care facility” lacked any factual basis and was contrary to BEEKMAN’s own zoning code, or the United States’ claims for money damages against BEEKMAN for interfering with the fair housing rights of Potter, Bunkhouse, and HVC.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits, among other things, discrimination on the basis of disability, and defines disability to include drug or alcohol addiction where the person is not currently using illegal drugs and is in recovery from addiction. Prospective residents seeking admission to HVC must be sober and free of illegal drugs, and must commit to remaining sober and free of illegal drugs throughout their residency.
To file a complaint alleging discrimination in housing, use the Civil Rights Complaint Form available on the United States Attorney’s Office’s website, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/civil-rights . Complaints should be emailed or sent by mail to:
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York
86 Chambers Street, 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10007
Attention: Chief, Civil Rights Unit
USANYS-CivilRights@usdoj.gov
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Kennedy and Tomoko Onozawa are in charge of the case.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of New York — U.S. Department of Justice press release.