The recently approved HEADstrong respite home in Swarthmore that plans to provide temporary housing for cancer patients and their caregivers has hit a roadblock in the form of the building’s neighbors, writes Rick Kauffman for the Daily Times.

Homeowners living next to the South Chester Road building are taking both Swarthmore Borough Council and HEADstrong to court to protest the opening. They are arguing that HEADstrong’s plans for the Swarthmore home do not meet the proper criteria determined by the federal Fair Housing Act.

James Bryne, an attorney who is representing the plaintiffs, recently filed an appeal against the December decision by the borough council to allow the purchase of the property at 200 South Chester Road.

The HEADstrong Foundation, which is headquartered in Holmes, was given the go-ahead in September by the borough planning commission to use the existing house. It will be renamed Nick’s House and function as cancer patients’ temporary residence under the FHA.

Neighbors appealed that decision immediately, claiming the quasi-independent review board did not prove that HEADstrong had met required the criteria for an accommodation of this type.

The appeal was denied last month by the council, which granted HEADstrong the right for the facility. This was provided as long as it was limited to a maximum of seven patients and their caregivers. The ruling also required that a handicapped ramp and a professional parking plan needed to be added, along with other safety precautions.

Read more about the appeal in the Daily Times by clicking here.