A federal judge in Connecticut has denied the city of Norwalk’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania-based company to create a halfway house in the city for individuals referred by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Firetree Ltd., which operates halfway houses in Pennsylvania and New York, claimed the city’s denial of certain permits was discriminatory against the disabled. The company also said the city bent to political and neighborhood pressures. The house in question is located on Quintard Avenue in the city’s South Norwalk neighborhood.