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![Credit: EmilieHouse.net]()
Credit: EmilieHouse.net
As expected, Bristol Township’s town hall meeting to discuss the municipality’s influx of recovery homes wasn’t short on drama.
More than 150 residents and numerous local, state and fedearl officials gathered at the township’s James Gallagher Community Center on the eve of Thanksgiving to deliberate not only the reason for such an inundation of sober homes in the area, but what Bristol Township Council officials can do to maintain safety, protect property values, and keep both the residential and recovery community moving forward.
The main topic of the night was debate over Council Vice President Amber Longhitano’s motion of a six month moratorium, which she made back in late October. While the motion was supported by Councilmen John Monahan and Murray Bailey, it was denied by the majority of council for fear of litigation, citing the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) of 1988. The law safeguards addicts under the protected class, not allowing them to be discriminated against in regards to housing choices as long as reasonable accommodation for their shelter is made. Read the FHAA of 1988 here.
The need for recovery homes has been swiftly growing over the last several years as more individuals, statistically men, find themselves becoming addicted to prescription medications; those that are lucky and complete a rehabilitation program, strive for a recovery home environment afterwards, meant to be a family geared space which helps adjust recovering addicts back into a community and life which is drug free. According to recent data released by both the Trust for America’s Health (state data) and the Pennsylvania State Coroner’s Association (county data), Pennsylvania, more specifically Bucks County, leads the nation in overdose deaths of young men aged 19-24. Acting police Lt. Ralph Johnson noted that 112 of those overdoses happened in Bristol Township, only two of which were of recovery home residents.
The moratorium, which Longhitano noted that several townships or municipalities have been successful in instituting, can last up to 18 months before typical litigation ensues. Noting the recent numbers of sober living facilities spread out among single family living structures throughout Levittown, Longhitano said reasonable accommodation for said recovering addicts already exist. The township has seen recovery homes more than double in just three years. While estimates in September were 72, numbers jumped to 89 in October and approximately 93 come this months end.
While the majority of council was adamant in their support of the resident’s complaints on Wednesday, litigation over the issue remained on their mind.
Stacy Mulholland, a representative from Republican Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick’s office, said that while the township can look for help on all levels of government, making a significant impact needs to happen at the local township level first. Mulholland stated that Fitzpatrick is in support of Bristol Township and will continue to defend it’s need for stricter zoning regulations regarding sober homes.
State Represntative Tina Davis, a Democrat who represents Bristol Township and is a longtime resident, noted that her presence at the meeting would not be a favored one as she had many “unpopular” things to say. Davis then stood proudly against the many township officials who opposed her statements, including Township Manager Bill McCauley, who remarked to the crowd that Davis was making erroneous claims.
Davis, who owns several rental properties (which are not recovery homes), said she knows for a fact that the township sometimes skips it’s yearly inspection requirements on all rental properties, citing that may be why sober homes can sometimes have unfit living conditions or more people inside than allowed per township ordinance. “I really believe we can do more than what we are doing in the township,” she said. “We need to be tougher.”
Davis then proclaimed that Longhitano was doing the right thing when she motioned for a moratorium and that she fully supported the decision. “I don’t want to talk about what we can’t do, I want to talk about what we can do,” she told Council President Craig Bowen when he brought up the risk of expensive litigation. Davis said because of all the residents that came out to the town hall, it was council’s job to take that risk.
Longhitano stood up during Davis’ statement, and could be heard yelling, “That’s my girl!”
While the state of Pennsylvania currently has no regulations regarding the management of said recovery homes, the recovery homeowners within the Bucks County Recovery House Association (BCRHA) have decided to enact their own bylaws, rules, regulations and oversight after noticing the issues that have impeded the recovery process, according to Longhitano. “The group is made up of probation and parole officers, mental health professionals, and drug and alcohol treatment professionals who have worked together to provide private self-funded housing to recovering addicts,” she said.
While registered homes have received mostly positive attention for their success in treating those recovering from addiction, it is the rogue homes that many in the township have come to know. According to latest estimates, another 70 or so homes exist throughout the municipality, with rooms for rent, no rules or guidelines for it’s residents, and a sometimes disturbing lack of supervision. Residents proclaimed their children have found used syringes outside their home, that they’ve witnessed sexual favors being given in cars on the block, and that as many as 17 men are living inside a Levittown home, and six women crowded in a basement in Croydon.
“The whole structure of recovery is based on coming in and supporting the whole group within the home, then to rehabilitate and get them on their way to being a functioning part of society again,” Longhitano told LevittownNow.com back in October. “What kind of community are we releasing them into if we are inundated and institutionalized?”
The recividism rate lies between three and five percent for recovering addicts, depending upon your source for statistics. Longhitano is strict in her beliefs that nearly ten homes every square mile, is only impeding on that success rate.
“This is the most pertinent issue here in Bristol Twp,” said Longhitano. “This is not one levels problem.”
Township officials are expected to meet again December 3 and 17.
The post Officials Announce Support For Recovery House Moratorium appeared first on LevittownNow.com.
