Frisco HOA Fights House For Homeless Teens & Young Adults
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COLLIN COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - A Frisco homeowners association will head to court next week in an effort to block plans to put a transitional home for homeless teens in the neighborhood.
Those with the Plantation Resort 2 Homeowners Association (PR2) say the home violates deed restrictions that stipulate single family residences, only.
"All we're trying to do is enforce the rules," says Chad Robinson, an attorney with Riddle & Williams. Robinson represents the HOA and called the 'single family residence' requirement the "marquis" covenant because it's intended to "keep property values at a steady pace."
Robinson called City House a "great cause," but said, "On the flip side, we can't pick and choose which rules we enforce."
City House, a Collin County based non-profit, purchased the five-bedroom home with plans to provide a stable living environment for as many as eight young women.
"At the end of the day, we want them to stand on their own two feet as adults," said Rob Scichili, the director of marketing and communications for City House. "That's what we're trying to do."
According to Scichili, the home would be staffed 24 hours a day and the teens would be required to work or attend school, while also taking life skills classes that focus on everything from budgeting to resume writing and relationships.
"I think it's a classic case of 'not-in-my-backyard,'" he said. "I think a lot of people are supporting what we do and we've heard directly from them: 'I just wish you'd go do it somewhere else.'"
But, even in the midst of Frisco's affluence, homeless teens hide in plain sight. "It exists," 18-year-old Dominique Parker said plainly. "It's everywhere. It's here."
Parker says tension and conflict at home drove her to the life of an invisible homeless teen -- even while attending a nearby high school and making plans to go to college. She now lives in the Frisco City House transitional home and says the support from the program has kept her out of trouble. Instead of worrying about where she will sleep, she can now focus on how big she can dream. "I'm so excited! I'm ready to graduate," she said. "I'm like 'oh, I can't wait to get this over with.' I'm ready to go to college. It's [City House] just made the experience, like 10 times better."
Parker wants to attend Southern Methodist University and eventually law school. Next week, a judge will decide whether City House's definition of 'single family residence' will allow her to do that from the place that she now calls home.
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