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A group home for developmentally disabled adults is opening up very close to my home in Suffolk. The town board meeting is in a wee and there is mixed feedback from neighbors as this is surprising news for this location. I have some serious concerns myself but I do also understand the need for developmentally disabled adults to have a place like this to live.
Does any live near a group home for developmentally disabled adults and can provide feedback on issues that arise (parking, staffing, noise, inappropriate behaviors ect). I am trying to get a better perspective before the town hall meeting.
If they are right next to you, I would be worried about garbage. That’s a lot of adults in one house, maybe suggest they should be required to have daily commercial garbage pickup.
At the meeting find out who will be in charge of the house re: if the grass is not mowed, if the siding should start to fall of in any section, if the property starts to look like hoarders are living there and the house should look like it is in disrepair. You want to insure that the house does not start to stand out in a neglected way making the property values in the neighborhood go down. Who will make sure that will not happen. Bland promises are not enough.
I live out in the Phoenix, AZ metro, and we have a ton of group homes scattered throughout the neighborhoods. The homes are often owned by corporations, but occasionally you will an individual owned home. The homes have a certain population in them, such as elderly people, or perhaps a group of 4 disabled women who are of a similar age.
We have had them near both of our homes and have had no problems with them. The only thing you may notice is that there will often be a passenger van parked in the driveway, and a couple of cars belonging to the people who work there. Or perhaps an occasional visitor will park on the street. At Christmas, they put up a Christmas tree like any other house on the block. And at Halloween, they enjoy having Trick-or-Treaters come to the door.
Here in Phoenix, there are many neighborhoods with HOA's, and the group home yards are kept just as nice as anyone else's. Many have a landscaping service come once a week to care for the yard.
The homes blend right in and typically there are no problems when they are elderly or disabled people.
Here's a POV from someone with a close family member in a NY group home. (Long, sad continuing story).
As far as I know, all group homes are owned and operated by NY State, and the state takes responsibility for them. The state spends a lot on these homes and from what I've seen the managers run a tight ship. The people who work in them are trained professionals who maintain high operational standards.
Examples:
The residents are supervised 24/7, with at least 2 counselors in attendance at the home at all times.
Male and female residents are kept separated and sleep on different levels of the home.
Group homes are never foreclosed-on as the state owns them. They receive generous budgets for maintenance indoors and out, as well as food, clothing and toiletries for residents. You'll see no residents running around the street naked, if that's a worry.
Residents receive full health care from the state, including antipsychotic medicines that make them easier to handle. Disruptive residents not able to live in a group home are removed.
Residents mostly stay inside and travel outside in a group with staff members in a van.
Each resident is assigned a social worker who manages his/her case. (BTW, most group home residents are male, as the male genome is weaker and more disease-prone.)
Group homes make it possible for families of people in group homes to have productive lives. Can you imagine a family caring for a mentally ill person 24/7? Several lives would be wrecked, so group homes make tragedy at least manageable.
Group homes serve the sick, their families and the the residences are well maintained. Dash your fears and welcome the group home. They're truly an example of NY tax dollars hard at work.
Can't speak for other states, including the one I now live in, but the description above has been my experience for decades.
there is one around the corner from us (western Suffolk) which has been there for twenty years. My only complaint - as mentioned - I wish they would cover the garbage cans.
When I walk the dog late at night a new shift comes on (11 pm) so there are a few cars coming and going. Possibly the same at 7am and during the day, but I never see that.
The house is well kept by a landscaping company. We were concerned at first, but they are good neighbors.
I believe this is an incredibilty conscientious post. I would want to know every person or office title up the chain of command and how to escalate concerns Incase they are not quickly addressed by the house manager, that managers supervisor, that supervisors supervisor etc.
Not for nothing but... I walk my dogs around the block every day and sometimes never see a soul outside of their house.
Nobody comes outside anymore. There could be a dozen group homes in my neighborhood and I wouldn't know it.
I actually had one of the first ones open on my old block 35 years ago. Never, never,never an issue with them! People make much ado about nothing.
One near me in a highly residential neighborhood. Never an issue. Good neighbors. Only thing different than another house is the large passenger van in the driveway. No way anyone from the outside knows this house is used any differently than any other in the neighborhood. Just another house...that happens to be doing important and necessary work.
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