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Alabama Group-Home Preemption — Multi-Family District Inclusion (AL)

Tracked preemption from the Alabama overlay bundle.

Overview

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Effective
1991-07-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:AL
Other Alabama preemptions
Alabama Short-Term Rentals — No State Preemption (April 2026)Alabama Density / ADU / Inclusionary Zoning / Design Review — No State PreemptionAlabama Black Belt National Heritage Area — Non-Regulatory Heritage DesignationAlabama Land Recycling & Economic Redevelopment Act — Voluntary Brownfield CleanupSelma to Montgomery National Historic Trail — NPS Viewshed Compatible-Use AdvisoryMobile Bay National Estuary Program — CCMP Coordination (Non-Regulatory)Alabama Manufactured Housing — No Zoning Preemption (Title 40/24 govern taxation, installation)Alabama Historic Preservation — Title 11 Chapter 68 Local Authority Enabling

Trigger predicate

When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.

AND
  • city.has_multifamily_districts == True
  • project.use_type == group_home_id_or_mi_residents
  • project.unrelated_resident_count ≤ 10

Preempted fields

2 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.

FieldOpValueNote
base_districts[category=res_mf].allowed_usesaddgroup_home_le_10_unrelated_id_or_mi_residentsLegislature expressly abolishes local zoning barriers excluding qualifying group homes from multi-family districts.
base_districts[category=res_mf].group_home_min_separation_ftfloor_at1000Statutory 1,000-ft lot-line spacing between group homes — local ordinances cannot waive.

Citation

Authority source
Ala. Code §11-52-75.1
§ §11-52-75.1
https://codes.findlaw.com/al/title-11-counties-and-municipal-corporations/al-code-sect-11-52-75-1.html

Research notes

One of the few true substantive zoning preemptions in Alabama. Applies to homes serving 10 or fewer unrelated persons with intellectual disabilities or mental illness. Federal Fair Housing Act and ADA reasonable-accommodation duties layer on top but are tracked separately.