'supported living for challenging youngsters' being built next door.

[getyourselfchecked]

NC for this as could be outing. This is more of a WWYD really. I am at risk of sounding like a right NIMBY and I hate that its bringing this out in me but...
I am a single parent about to move to a new house. Building work has started on a 'supported living for challenging youngsters' development right next door.
Now, I have lived in some of the most gang-riven areas in the country without a thought but in my old age and with a child I admit I am worried about crime, drugs and ability to sell house on. I love the house and everything else is good.
WWYD? Still proceed with the purchase?

This is a genuine post, I don't have many people to discuss this with and I have never worried about house values etc in my life! I am genuinely surprised at my reaction to this.

I would want to know how many residents and what form the support will take. Staffed 24/7 or floating support or somewhere in between? I work in supported housing, our residents have a license agreement which means any anti social behaviour can result in them being asked to leave. If, however the young people will have tenancy agreements it is much harder to control any bad behaviour, and can take months to evict the odd problematic resident.
Ultimately, if there are plenty of other properties about you might decide to pull out but if you really like the house maybe get in touch with the organisation planning this accommodation for more info.

Sorry missed your last post!

Ive just spotted your update with more details as to what this development is

Do NoT Buy It!!

I kind of hate myself for saying this, but unfortunately this is EXACTLY what was built a few doors away from DPs - they live in a gated, secure small development, but they have still had to deal with frequent & often intimidating drug addicted beggars knocking on their door for money. My DM was disabled, they had no qualms about deliberately intimidating her to hand over cash - it was a big part of the reason they moved!

This thread makes me sad. When my children were younger the local playgroup started a petition against a bungalow for children with special needs and challenging behaviour that was opening across the road from me - all the usual objections, 'will lower property values, possible effect on our children, they might go to our local schools(1), they have got to go somewhere but NIMBY etc.' I did not support the petition then and 8 years on can honestly say I have had no issues or complaints. These are 'our children', not aliens from Mars and I would hope that if a child in my family needed such support that it would be available and that they would not face such prejudice. I have friends who have had 'nightmare neighbours' none of whom have been challenging children in supported living homes!

I forgot to add - they also hosted a "soup kitchen" which attracted homeless, drug addicts & alcoholics from the wider community too, this was the biggest part of the problem, so that would be something to ask - though in the beginning, there was no soup kitchen next to DPs, that came a year later

Good for you Suze As you can see from the vast majority of people on this thread, - including some who have worked with people with various behavioural issues, there is very little appetite for living in such close proximity to such an establishment.

Pull out of the sale.

Frankly, you will not be able to resell for anywhere near the value, so even buying one street over will be a better purchase.

Why would you buy somebody else's problems?

I was involved with a children's society project to build a respite facility for children with severe special needs and a drop in type facility with pool, sensory room, family cafe etc. The complaints from neighbours prior to the build were unfounded. In fact I worked with a woman who backed onto the site, prior to build, who worried her poor self to death about what type of people she'd get in there and unfortunately she was confronted with my daughter someone she cooed over and bought a Christmas present
I don't understand people really
Why don't they put two and two together?
Her own daughter had MH issues too

Depending on what stage you are and whether you will lose a lot of money I'd pull out. The problem isn't necessarily the place itself- it might be absolutely fine. However at resale potential buyers will be put off even if there haven't been issues.

I'd worry it might be catching
As someone said above, they might engage with your children
What if you suddenly started wetting yourself? It would be their fault. I'm sure the water source gets infected
Sometimes they might laugh and we don't want that
We want disabled people committing suicide, their families struggling and an unhappy Dickensian existence for them.
What is the world coming to when axminster has closed production and these offloaders lower our house prices? It's a terrible existence. I blame someone else, Labour, those miners or just someone him over there, his wife is loose

Owllady, there is no need to be sarcastic. Your home is your sanctuary and the last thing you want is to be scared to go outside because of these potential neighbours from hell.

Sorry OP, it is a definite no from me too. Even if you have already paid for survey/solicitor, it doesn't matter. No reassurance would be enough for me (councils want to get these built so they will try to reassure the neighbours but I would not be convinced).

You had a lucky escape, find another place.

RTFT Suze OP has explained, and apologised, for not supplying the details earlier. She said - these will be young, homeless people, and she then apologised for anyone upset by the thought she meant young people with any LDs.

The reality is that OP has the opportunity to rethink the purchase of a house that will definitely have its resale value reduced by the house she is asking about. She can, and probably should, pull out of the purchase, unless she a) gets a good discount or b) finds out that the house will have 24/7 carers an c) is convinced that this will be enough to eradicate any possibility of disturbance and loss.

As another who has worked with 'troubled teens' I too would not want to live next door to them. I currently live 200yds from a drop in centre for local teens, and trust me, that is bad enough, some nights!

Pull out.

1. Your house value will decrease.
2. Even if the planned supported housing seems ok now, the fact that it has planning permission to be a supported living facility means you could get something even worse in future.
3. Don't feel guilty about it. Your job is to do the best thing for you and your daughter. The people in supported housing will still get to live there. You just won't have to!

Dont be ridiculous Owllady. Firstly OP has confirmed that it isnt a home for adults with learning difficulties. It's supported living for homeless teenagers/young adults. Totally different ball game. Plus the OP not buying the house next door will have no effect on those teenagers- it will only impact her.

OP- I teach teenagers with 'challenging behaviour' in a specialist school. Sometimes they are lovely, we have a really productive week and a lot of learning happens, in fact this is how they are the majority of the time.
This week has been the opposite; i've been spat at, punched, hair pulled, had chairs thrown at me and been bitten as well as three classroom chairs broken and two windows smashed. And it's only Tuesday.
What i'm trying to say is; I deeply care for my form, all the kids have good qualities, but living next door to them with my child? I'd run a mile.

No because sarcasm is a far more serious crime than narrow minded bigotry and discrimination

Owl you are taking this personally

It's ok to say you don't want to live next door to sheltered housing for troubled teens

You have no problem with that. Good. That's your choice

But I don't

What is up with people lately that they never actually read threads and go straight in for a fight??????

Listen to the words of wisdom OP : don't bother.

It has every chance of turning into a living nightmare with little chance of re-sell.

As Karigan says, run a mile.

Karigan, you're not a disgrace. No-one with any sense would choose to live to something disruptive.

No I'm not taking it personally. I just hope I don't ever have the misfortune of living next door to all you perfect narrow minded moaning types. I can't think of anything worse!

What is up with people lately that they never actually read threads and go straight in for a fight??????

Completely agree.

Much easier for some to jump in without bothering to actually read what has been said.