BELLEVILLE, Ill. – A spirited debate took place Tuesday night over a plan to open what the city of Belleville deemed a ‘group home’ for young people in a residential neighborhood.
The Belleville City Council rejected the plan in a 3-2 vote. Now, the organization behind the plan is accusing city leaders and neighbors of discrimination.
The East St. Louis-based organization Teens Against Killing Everywhere (TAKE) recently partnered with Beyond Living, a non-profit organization specializing in shared housing, to buy the home around Belleville’s Highwood subdivision. TAKE CEO Vickie Kimmel said despite Tuesday night’s vote, they are moving forward with their plan.
“The kids that are going to move here are not going to be pedophiles. They’re not criminals. They’re young people looking for a fresh start,” Kimmel said. “So, I don’t know why a politician would say no to that.”
Kimmel said she was stunned the city council rejected their plan to house five young, working graduates of their program in the home off Hillwood Drive. She said they needed the city’s approval to house more than three unrelated people in the home.
Neighbors showed up to Tuesday night’s council meeting to voice their opposition.
“I understand what they’re saying, and it’s a beautiful picture,” one neighbor said. “But it does not paint the picture of the character of our neighborhood. So, we’re asking you to please vote no.”
Another neighbor argued that some of these young people, who TAKE said sometimes have checkered pasts and come from troubled backgrounds, could pose a danger to the neighborhood.
“You have young children that live in that neighborhood. To have youths who have had trouble unsupervised on cameras, it’s crazy,” he said.
Kimmel said she was disappointed with what she described as negative assumptions neighbors made about the people they’d house. She said the young people are all working, many of them in the trades, and are simply looking to save up enough money to support themselves.
“Who’s to say these kids wouldn’t start mowing people’s yards?” Kimmel said. “Who’s to say these people wouldn’t be productive, helpful young people? But to say just because they’re young, they’re going to be partying and doing drugs, that’s offensive.”
Neighbors and city leaders against the plan said they are not discriminating; they just don’t think the program is a good fit for the location.
Kimmel said they plan to keep the house and move in three young adults anyway. They hope that over time, neighbors and city leaders will come around and allow them to house more young people in the home.
“It’s my hope that they will rethink this process, because regardless, we own the property. And if I put three people in here, is it really going to be much different than five?” Kimmel said. “We will not take a loss on this and not be able to assist young people.”
The group hopes to move those three residents into the home late this spring after completing renovations.
Kimmel said the residents would pay roughly $250 per month in rent. She said TAKE program participants will also help renovate the home.
