Will Haddon Heights let longtime rooming house become homeless shelter?

Joseph P. Smith, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·2 min read

HADDON HEIGHTS — Borough zoning officials may decide next week whether a longtime rooming house at 8th Street and Station Avenue is suitable for a new role as a residence for homeless people.

The Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council is positioned to buy the circa-1900 house and its roughly half-acre corner property. The council proposes to cut down the number of rooms from the current 14 to 10, according to a proposal submitted in August to the borough Planning and Zoning Board.

The council was established in 1991 by numerous Camden County congregations to help homeless men, women, and children. The Cherry Hill-based organization in July signed a conditional agreement to purchase the rooming house at 802 Station Avenue for $700,000.

Helping older residents: What Haddon Heights is doing to support housing for older residents

Spooky wedding fun: 'Zombie Wedding' presents a 'slice' of South Jersey for horror-comedy fans for Halloween

One obstacle from a zoning regulation standpoint is the property is in a residential zone. Rooming houses are not allowed in the area, but the existing business has operated because it pre-dates the zoning designation.

The council is asking the borough Planning and Zoning Board to certify that using the property as a residence for homeless is basically the same use and so also exempt from zoning regulations. If the board disagrees, the council is asking for a use variance.

Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council, a long-standing group of congregations based in Camden, is the contract purchaser of a rooming house at the corner of 8th Street and Station Avenue in Haddon Heights. The council is looking for borough zoning approval to operate it as part of its network. PHOTO: Oct. 8, 2023.
Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council, a long-standing group of congregations based in Camden, is the contract purchaser of a rooming house at the corner of 8th Street and Station Avenue in Haddon Heights. The council is looking for borough zoning approval to operate it as part of its network. PHOTO: Oct. 8, 2023.

The application states the new use would be less intense because of “strict house rules governing its occupants, as well as limiting occupancy to individuals who have successfully completed the Applicant's Network program or have agreed to abide by the Applicant's rules as a condition of living in the home.”

The board tentatively is scheduled to hold a public hearing at its Oct. 19 meeting.

The council and its attorney, Eric Riso, did not return calls asking for further information.

Moorestown resident Joseph Duffin is listed as an owner of the property.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Camden County homeless council eyes Haddon Heights