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Residents Want Drug Addiction Program Out Of Neighborhood

Posted: 4:57 pm EDT August 4, 2003

The Open Homes Fellowship uses the Christian faith to help drug addicts. It has been operating in the same location on Central Park Avenue near Highway 50 in east Orange County for the past decade. Now the county wants it out, saying they are breaking zoning laws.

Some of the neighbors called to complain because the program is growing. In addition to the main building and the classrooms, there are now a few duplexes across the street, all of them occupied by recovering addicts.

The men staying there are working on changing their entire lives.

"Our program introduces the men and helps them get a relationship with Jesus Christ," explains Wes Carlson.

Carlson is the Open Homes Fellowship administrator. He came here two years ago as an addict.

"I had a college education, a number of degrees, businesses I was successful. But beginning with alcohol addictions, cocaine and eventually crack addictions, I found myself living on the street."

Close to 40 men live here together. They study, pray and help each other fight addiction without doctors or therapists.

"A doctor can take care of the mind and drugs can take care of the body, but actual healing has to take place inside a man's soul," says Carlson.

But some of the neighbors don't want it taking place here.

"Zoning is the county's way of trying to keep neighborhoods as neighborhoods," explains Asst. County Attorney Gary Glassman.

The county has collected photos showing numerous cars and piles of trash. They also point to regular garage sales and trucks from two businesses.

"You have to really balance both interests the interests of those who are recovering with those who live in the neighborhood and say, 'We don't want that here,'" comments Glassman.

At issue is whether Open Homes qualifies as a church. A federal judge will have to decide. In the meantime they're praying it stays open.

Because this is zoned residential, a church or an addiction treatment center would have to apply for a special exception. They did, but the county said no. The discovery phase of the court case is starting this week.

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