Group homes irritate area residents

But the homes provide shelter and support to the homeless, mentally ill and teenage moms. Group homes -- which offer services and housing to juvenile court referrals, teenage mothers, the mentally ill and the homeless -- have spurred anger among many local residents who say their presence harms their neighborhood. There are 41 such homes and human service providers in the Spruce Hill area -- which extends from 40th to 46th streets between Market and Woodland streets, according to Spruce Hill Community Association Vice President Sharif Ali. Residents complain that, in addition to lowering the overall quality of the neighborhood, the disproportionate number of group homesEis responsible for noise and crime problems, such as graffiti and petty crime. SHCA President Patrick Starr agreed that the high number of such homes has been a primary concern of the community group. "We have done a lot of work to try and understand why we have this number of group homes in our area," Starr said. "We think we have more than our fair share." And as construction has started on another group home in University City --Ea shelter for single men at 41st and Chestnut streets -- residents are voicing their concerns to legislators. Spruce Hill residents will meet with city officials, including City Councilperson Jannie Blackwell, tonight to discuss why they don't have more input in determining the placement of the homes. Residents say they are concerned that there are no special zoning requirements for the group homes and that community members do not receive advance notice or hold zoning hearings before a new group home moves into the area. "We want a fair notice of their arrival," Ali said. "The current laws don't protect residents." He added that his group wants to insure that the homes are properly managed, in order to help their residents become better integrated into the neighborhood. "Rather than an us-versus-them mentality, we would like to incorporate the agency into the community," said Ali, who suggested that youths in group homes could work with community members to clean up graffiti and organize sports teams and block parties. SHCA and other area organizations, such as the Squirrel Hill and Walnut Hill community groups, plan to organize a "watch-dog group" to insure that group homes comply with local and state laws. And Jeff Moran of the Philadelphia Department of Health noted that the number of such homes is an "ongoing issue" for many parts of the city, and not just West Philadelphia. Moran stressed that since many of the group homes are funded by non-profit organizations -- and not city or state governments -- residents should not receive special privileges in approving their location. Ali, however, maintained that the majority of the area's 41 group homes are government funded, adding that community members should have more input in determining their placement and management. "We're going to really start looking at the federal and city money coming in," he said. "We need to question how they are being funded without properly involving the community."