Fox Point Now reported that the request was rejected because the Fox Point Village Board feared that it would be setting a precedent allowing group homes and "similar establishments" within the Village boundaries. This is a village of 6,870 residents with a 2009 median household income of $100,000 (but the mean household income was $154,303) and a median value of owner-occupied homes at $307,500. With the high cost of housing combined with relatively few options (less than 3,000 housing units), the likelihood of many group homes moving into the neighborhood is extremely low. But hysterics shall rule the day!
Think about it for a moment. Those residents and Board members opposing this feel they are so privileged that only people like themselves are allowed to move into the community.
"I think this gets down to the basis of how this community defines itself," Trustee Eric Fonstad said. "Any way you cut it, this is a group home. I think we would be bound to consider other group homes in the future. It could erode the residential character of the village, and I'm very uncomfortable with that."
So a resident's adult son with, say, developmental disabilitiess, would not be able to live semi-independently in a small group home setting of four persons within Fox Point. Is it any wonder why cities are aggravated by communities like Fox Point that essentially dump people they consider undesirable into the cities?
Oddly, based on my quick skimming online*, Fox Point actually may be positioning itself well to defend future Fair Housing complaints** should a provider attempt to open a group home with four or more unrelated persons. By not having existing exemptions, they can point to equal treatment of everyone.
*This statement shall not be constructed to be a valid legal analysis and/or opinion.
**Fox Point recently updated its Fair Housing ordinance in March, so they may have been more aware of the potential pitfalls.
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