Paul Atkinson/KJZZ

Sal DiCiccio

For over six months, the city of Phoenix’s planning department has been grappling with the issue of group homes and how to define them in order to be in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing and American with Disabilities Acts.

These are living facilities for group homes, adult day care, homes for the disabled, and more. Right now, some of these homes are registered with the city. Others operate unregistered which, in the city’s eyes, means they operate as a family unit inside one dwelling.

The City Council will soon be required to vote on two citizen-driven petitions asking them to take steps toward combatting these unregistered group homes in the city.

Some neighbors feel these homes compromise their safety and security — and they say they’ve seen unsafe conditions inside and outside these group homes. Now, Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio is taking up their cause.

Councilman DiCiccio says that without regulation of these group homes, he’s concerned this is profiteering off of Medicaid money. His biggest concern is that we just don’t know a lot about these places — and we can’t find out.