Rockford residents oppose 'outrageous' expansion of group homes for recovering addicts

Dozens of Rockford residents are pushing back against the increased placement of people recovering from drug addiction and alcoholism in group homes in their neighborhoods.

The operator of the program, Oxford House, is asking the city for a zoning variance to increase the number of people in their group homes, and neighbors across Rockford have signed petitions and written letters opposing the expansion.

"This is the equivalent of plopping a multi-unit apartment building in a zoned single-family neighborhood," wrote Pepper Drive residents Kristine and Douglas Hartman. "Nine (non-related) adult residents in what appears to be normally a three-to-five-bedroom house is an outrageous violation of local community standards."

In some cases, more residents than allowed apparently already are living in the single-family homes without city approval.

Oxford House lawyers say the residents in their group homes are considered "disabled persons" under the law and therefore protected by it. They're asking to increase the number of residents at the Pepper Drive house from six to nine.

The Hartmans wrote in a letter to the city that property values and quality of life will suffer if expansion is allowed it were allowed to expand. The expansion "appears to be an attempt from an absentee landlord and absentee owner to increase their investment return at the expense of everyone in this neighborhood," they wrote, adding that their neighborhood already has seen multiple police and fire calls to the Oxford House at 5383 Pepper Drive.

Rockford City Council could vote on the Oxford House request on Monday night.

Oxford House says it provides homes in a group setting for sober people recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. It says its clients are considered "handicapped" and protected by the Federal Fair Housing Act.

Lawyers for Oxford House describe the homes as "self-run, self-supported recovery homes," but not "abuse centers, halfway houses, shelters or rehabilitation care facilities."

There are more than 3,000 such Oxford Houses in the United States.

Rockford zoning officials say that without automated fire sprinklers, the maximum number of residents allowed in these houses is six. With sprinklers, it could be eight in some of the homes, but none are equipped with it.

In addition to the Pepper Drive expansion, Oxford House is asking that it be allowed to increase the number of residents at 6274 Brigantine Lane to 13; increase the number of residents allowed at 1234 National Ave. to nine; increase the number of residents allowed at 5946 Weymouth Drive to eight; and increase the number of residents allowed at 3522 Applewood Lane to eight.

Jeff Kolkey can be reached at  (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford residents write letters, sign petitions against group homes