The city of Lakewood held a public hearing at the April 2nd city council meeting. The hearing related to a proposed ordinance intending to limit where Enhanced Service Facilities can be zoned. The ordinance goes on to define an adult family home. In the definition of adult family home they include the following statement, “Adult Family Homes shall serve those with functional disabilities and are not intended to serve those with a history of violence, including sex offenses.”
The Adult Family Home Council, along with other advocates has reached out to the city to express concern over that language. The term “a history of violence” is vague and undefined. The city also does not have the authority to discriminate housing access based on such a broad term. Based on other testimony, and the questions asked by the City Council members, we are hopeful that they will revise the ordinance to eliminate the potentially confusing and discriminatory language before the issue is brought to a vote on April 16th at 7pm at Lakewood City Hall.
2 Responses
Here is my concern. We, as Adult Family Home Providers MUST complete Background Checks and Finger Print Checks to ensure that we do NOT hire someone with a disqualifying crime. We do this to ensure that our VULNERABLE Adults are kept safe. We, as Providers, MUST complete background checks on volunteers and family members that live in the house over the age of 11. How does a Provider know if a client they are admitting has disqualifying crimes? Do clients with “disqualifying crimes” not pose the same threat to a vulnerable adult as a volunteer or employee or child? Is “discrimination” the right term to use?
I understand what you are saying but there is homes that take people that have sexual crimes or homeless that are sick that have drugs crimes in there past. In the assessment it should be very detailed what charges they have had. Then it is YOUR choice if you can protect your other residents. I personally have all people who have had charges and I know what they were. I can protect my other resident if you have 80 and 90 year old with clean life you wouldn’t take any of my people. They have a right to the same care as the elderly. You don’t mix. It is in there history and assessment. If you think something is wrong ask. You have the right to refuse.
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