Home for homeless women facing opposition

A home located in the Fairfield Historic District opens its doors to homeless women, but the district's association doesn't want the home in the neighborhood.

The Christian Development Center on Eustis Street provides housing to homeless women or women who just may be down on their luck and looking for a spiritual awakening.

Steve Camp with the Fairfield Historic District says the area already has similar homes, and concerned neighbors don't want to add another one. Camp also says, "they're not always the best kept property."

The owners Keith and Carol Slabaugh say they're getting opposition from neighbors because of ignorance.

Keith says they're discriminating against that specific group of women, and that's against the Fair Housing Act.

"What they're saying is 'we don't want 'those' kind of people here,'" says Keith. "I don't know what 'those kind of people' is. They're going to have to tell me what 'those kind of people' are. I don't know."

Jayne Harp has lived on Eustis for years, and she says this is the best place for a home like this.

"Those people need a place to stay," says Harp. "They're good, loving people. You never hear anything bad or negative over there. They're always sweet and kind and giving."

Harp also thinks there was some divine intervention surrounding their placement in her neighborhood.

"That place is a good place for those people to be," says Harp. "They have to have somewhere to go, and God brought them there. He sent them straight there. Please let them stay there."

Camp says there has been a petition circulating to get the home dismantled, but he doesn't know who started it.