Appendix D Organizing Support for the Group Home Project

• Library: Group Homes: Strategies for Effective and Defensible Planning and Regulation (ABA) (2014 Ed.)

Group home projects are similar to many other land use developments, except they tend to be more controversial because neighbors often lack knowledge and have preconceptions about potential group home residents, and they wrongly assume group homes will have adverse impacts on them, different from the typical single-family use. These circumstances of the use and the neighbors make group homes targets for opposition. Following just 10 cardinal principles can help group home advocates win over the opposition and get approvals.

1. Think of the Opposition Not as "Opposition" but as Potential Allies to Be Won Over

Many group home developers—and possibly even some planners—go into the project approval process believing that there will be opposition and that they must somehow defeat it. The reality is that most future opposition can be avoided. The group home developer and public advocates supporting the group home need to start with a positive attitude.

The effort should begin with the objective of having no opposition at the hearing and getting a unanimous decision. The group home developer must be committed to doing everything that is reasonable and not budget-busting or project-killing to satisfy each and every need and desire (no matter how bizarre) of everyone who may have an interest in the project. Some group home advocates may say, or think, that such kowtowing to the "opposition" is demeaning or ridiculous, is disrespectful of the people with disabilities who are to be served, is not required by law, costs money, involves extra time, or sets bad precedent for future projects. And some of these statements may be correct, at least in some narrow sense. However, once group home developers experience positive results from addressing the needs of the opponents, their attitude often changes. Meeting the real and perceived needs of the community leads to group homes being approved, gets those homes built and occupied, helps better understanding of how readily group homes are fully integrated into traditional residential neighborhoods, and earns group home advocates a reputation as caring people who listen, respond, and accommodate.

2. Have a Plan of Action and Keep It Close to the Chest

First, there must be a plan of action. It may or may not be written, in whole or in part, depending upon the sensitivity of the strategy. However, there must be a plan of some type. Second, the secret details of the plan must remain secret. The plan should not be widely...