The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB), the county agency that plans, organizes and provides services for people in our community who have mental illness, substance use disorders and/or intellectual disability, is launching a Good Neighbor campaign.

Community-based residential programs are needed to accommodate individuals with disabilities who are on long waitlists for community housing and who are leaving state training centers as a result of the legal settlement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the U.S. Department of Justice. Group residential facilities, as they are known in the county's zoning ordinance, are a by-right use in every residential district.

Federal and state Fair Housing laws provide basic protections to people with disabilities who live in these settings. Group homes have been a part of our residential communities for decades. The Good Neighbor campaign, endorsed by the Board of Supervisors' Housing Committee, aims to help establish and maintain good relationships among group home residents (and staff) and their neighbors, to prevent misunderstandings and concerns, and to enhance community acceptance of new homes.

The CSB and more than 20 residential service and affordable housing providers throughout the county have joined together to endorse a set of commonly held "good neighbor" best practices for group home providers, staff and community members in Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. By signing this agreement, these organizations affirm their shared commitment and responsibility to uphold community values and standards in all of their residences.

The CSB has developed a "Good Neighbor" presentation to help community members learn more about group homes in Fairfax County and the Good Neighbor campaign. If any citizens association, civic group or faith community would like a presentation, contact Jeannie Cummins at jcumm1@fairfaxcounty.gov or 703-324-7006.