DAYTON — Dayton leaders have passed an ordinance designed to regulate foster group homes within city limits.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, not everyone was in favor of this decision.
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Commissioner Daryl Fairchild voted no, and Commissioner Shenise Turner-Sloss abstained.
>>RELATED: I-Team: City approves temporary moratorium on new group homes in Dayton
As previously reported by News Center 7, the city imposed a six-month ban on new group homes in August.
Now, this ordinance will use zoning regulations to make it difficult to add more group homes.
“I’ve actually seen several in the neighborhood, not in mine but in this area,” Dayton resident, Cherrie Howard, said.
Howard is like many people in Dayton.
She can drive down the street and spot a lot of group homes.
A News Center 7 I-Team investigation uncovered that of the 220 foster group homes in Ohio, 78 are in Montgomery County.
Dayton police responded to approximately 200 calls a month at the foster group homes.
“They actually need the help; we have to do something,” Howard said.
The zoning department created a new ordinance aimed at the problem.
It defines terms like “Group Home, Foster Case, Group Home Operator, and Occupancy.”
It also sets regulations, like:
- No group foster home can be within 1,000 feet of another such home
- No more than five residents can be in each Group Foster Gost
- There can be no more than 12 group homes in each of six defined land areas in the city
"Enacting this creates a pathway to add more group homes in the community," Commissioner Fairchild said.
He added that the ordinance doesn’t address that one land area in the city already has 37 group homes.
It will still allow more group homes than the cap he wanted to see, Fairchild said.
“I think another moratorium, getting it right, would be the best path,” Fairchild said.
The commission passed the ordinance, and it will take effect in 90 days.
We will continue to follow this story.
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