A Little Rock community, home to two substance abuse centers could soon welcome a third. And some people who live near the proposed site of 12th and Woodrow are upset about it. Tuesday night, organizers tried convincing residents the center is needed.
The Black Community Developers are an outreach program of Hoover United Methodist Church. The group helps with the homeless, gang issues, and substance abuse counseling. Now it wants to tear down several homes to build a new treatment center. Some are asking why here?
"I think it needs to be somewhere else, besides our neighborhood," says a concerned citizen.
In a heated meeting, organizers pushing a new substance abuse center heard it all.
"A lot of us are thinking about the property values, thinking it will go down,” says Jeanette Booth, against the center.
There are many concerns from people who live in this community.
"That’s a risk to our children. We don't know who these people are," says Booth.
Another reason people are against the home is that there is already another drug rehab center right across the road.
Stephan Booth walks to a different beat. He says communities should nurture not ostracize or look down on those in need. He lives across from Will's Place Substance Abuse Center.
"If we don't have this, if this doesn't go through, where are they going to go, what are they going to do?” says Stephan Booth.
Organizers want more people to feel that way.
"You have to help people walk through the struggle rather than lay them out there and say pull yourselves up by your boot straps. It just doesn't work that way,” says Rev. William Robinson with the Black Community Developers.
Next week the city will have the final say.
"They just keep dumping substance abuse houses in our neighborhood,” says Jeanette Booth.
Another issue brought up at the meeting is people hanging out around the centers. Organizers say the new site would have an enclosed courtyard to prevent that.
The name for the proposed site is the Empowerment Center, and it will be located in the 3000 block of 12th street. The 15 million dollar project would house 48 men and women. The city planning commission will make a decision next Thursday.
