A judge will decide the future of a residence in Frisco that provides shelter for homeless teens.
FRISCO — Dominique Parker's advanced placement class load has her stuck inside her bedroom most of the time after school. But as she studies for tests, her biggest exam is the one she's still taking.
"Since March… it's been a long time, but I just take it day-by-day, really," she said.
The 18-year-old from Frisco is homeless. She tells News 8 that conflicts in her home — and poor life decisions — made her decide to live somewhere else.
She turned to City House, which places children and adults in transitional housing. The organization has helped hundreds of people over its 26-year history working in Plano.
Parker now lives in a home with one other woman and her infant child in the Plantation Resort No. 2 subdivision in Frisco. But this home is now in a tug-of-war between the homeowners association and the transitional living group. And the difference boils down to six words: "Related to single-family residential purposes."
"The six words come down to: What is the definition of a single-family dwelling?" asked Rob Scichili of City House.
The HOA argues that Plantation Resort No. 2 is a deed-restricted community. A representative tells News 8 the two once-homeless girls housed there violate the HOA covenant.
Legal experts tell News 8 the rule is nothing new, and it's enforceable. The HOA says it's not fighting to remove City House, just fighting to keep any additional young adults from moving in.
"We all think it's a great cause, but our covenants only permit single-family residential use," said Attorney Chad Robinson, who represents Plantation Resort No. 2.
Robinson tells News 8 the community made a good faith effort to accommodate City House. He said HOA members voted on whether to amend the covenant to let City House operate in the neighborhood. It would have needed 67 percent approval, but got only a fraction of that.
"We operate just like a single family," Scichili argues. "We're no different than a foster home or a home with a foreign exchange student."
He believes the covenant is up for interpretation. Scichili adds that this was never a concern for its operations in Plano neighborhoods.
Both sides were hoping to come to an agreement, but late last week talks fizzled, and now the dispute is off to court, where the HOA has filed for injunctive relief.
"I'm waiting for the moment when I can finally breathe and I'm not going to wake up tomorrow and be somewhere else," Dominique Parker said. "It's still kind of sinking in."
Robinson said the HOA has no intent of kicking out the two adults and infant child in the City House residence. He said the injunction would simply prevent City House from welcoming any more women to the home.
When News 8 went to the home, we noticed several beds ready for other girls. Scichili said the plan was to house six to eight girls in the home. He said the shelter they provide is often the one constant in some of these people's lives.
A judge will decide the future of the home in the coming weeks. Call it irony, but the overarching question here may be: What defines "family"?
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