LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- A Little Rock neighborhood uneasy with potential neighbors that could be moving down the street.
A non-profit group home, known as the Oxford House has applied for a permit in the Catholic High Neighborhood. This home would be for recovering addicts. It would sit at the corner of Markham and Plaza Drive.
Lisa Haney Beachler has lived on Plaza Drive in Little Rock for 53 years and says she has many concerns.
"The neighbors don't have such an objection to what they're doing. Is the fact that who wants seven men living in a multi-family/single family dwelling, that's been single family."
As an RN, Beachler ran a rehab facility for 17 years, but still found Tuesday's news disturbing.
That's when she received word a group home for recovering addicts could be her new neighbor down the street. Beachler says it's an unsettling feeling.
"We're just all very upset. First of all because they didn't tell the neighbors, except 20 of them and then second of all because they didn't invite anybody to the meeting except those 20 people."
According to city ordinance, only residents 200 feet from a proposed permit site must be alerted of such a request.
According to the Oxford House website,
"The number of residents in a House may range from six to fifteen; there are houses for men, houses for women, and houses which accept women with children."
Beachler says she worries about the neighborhood's future
"They kept professing they want to be good neighbors and I believe them, but I just don't see how could they be?"
Beachler says she's now concerned this will bring down her property value.
"If you do the real estate comps, they're the lowest house in the neighborhood and they've pulled all of our property values down."
Regardless, the Fair Housing Act protects from discrimination in housing and the city could be held liable if it denies the special permit.
Beachler says she'll keep fighting the permit.
"We object to that, we object to not being, the rest of the neighbors not being told about it. We felt that it was covert. Many people said last night, you're shoving this down our throats. Basically telling us you're going to have it whether we want it or not."
Twitter: @THVMeredith