Group Homes

Group home, large: A facility that provides care, treatment or custody for more than eight (8) individuals considered to be disabled or handicapped under the Federal Fair Housing Act, as amended or the laws of the State of Missouri, and may include additional persons providing oversight of the facility, none of which need to be related to each other.

Group home, small: A facility that provides care, treatment or custody for up to eight (8) individuals considered to be disabled or handicapped under the Federal Fair Housing Act, as amended, or the laws of the State of Missouri, and may include two (2) additional persons providing oversight of the facility, none of which need to be related to each other.  Residences with up to three (3) unrelated residents are not defined as a group home.

Primary use of land and buildings – Group home: This use shall meet the following additional standards:

  1. Before operating such group home, the owner or operator shall register with the Community Development Department; and
  2. The exterior appearance of the home shall be in reasonable conformance with the general neighborhood standards.

Note: the rule that required no group home be within one thousand (1,000) feet of another group home has been removed.

Definition of disability/handicap

The Fair Housing Act uses the term “handicap” instead of “disability.” Under the Act, “handicap” means, with respect to a person, or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment. This term does not include current, illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance. “Physical or mental impairment” includes:

  1. any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic, skin; and endocrine; or
  2. any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.

The term “physical or mental impairment” includes, but is not limited to, such diseases and conditions as orthopedic, visual, speech and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, mental retardation, emotional illness, drug addiction (other than addiction caused by current, illegal use of a controlled substance) and alcoholism.

“Major life activities” means functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

If you are interested in operating a group home in the City of Columbia, please complete the Group Home Applicationopens PDF file  and submit it to the Community Development Department at the following address:

City of Columbia Community Development Department
Planning and Development/Group Homes
P.O. Box 6015
Columbia, MO 65205