Federal lawsuit challenges Shawnee’s co-living ban

A neighborhood in the northeast corner of the city. Shawnee is being sued for its co-living ban, which prohibits by ordinance, more than three unrelated individuals from living together.

Shawnee is being sued for its co-living ban, which went into effect last year and prohibits more than three unrelated individuals from living together. Above, a neighborhood in the northeast corner of the city. File Photo.

A resident and a Johnson County property management company are suing the city of Shawnee for its controversial “co-living ban,” which was instituted last year.

The company, Prairie Village-based HomeRoom, Inc., and Shawnee resident Val French filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in federal district court in Kansas City, Kan.

The suit is seeking to overturn the city’s rules on cohabitation in residential areas. The plaintiffs are represented by the nonprofit Pacific Legal Foundation.