EVICTION FOR SAFETY - THE CASE FOR REMOVING TROUBLEMAKERS' RELATIVES

Nobody likes to see grandmothers thrown out of their homes because of the
actions of irresponsible minors or other relatives living under the same
roof. But the alternative -- the harboring of individuals who make life
miserable for the whole community -- is even worse.

As a result of the bust of what police call a major drug distribution
circle at the Green Meadows apartment complex in Baldwin Borough recently,
eviction notices were served to tenants in 12 apartments. Home Properties,
the company that owns and oversees Green Meadows, promises more evictions
are on the way.

So far, 18 people have been arrested after a seven-month undercover
investigation at Green Meadows. Most of those arrested don't hold leases
but were staying with friends or family at the 1,850-person complex.

Even if all of the proposed evictions satisfy the zero-tolerance clause in
the Green Meadows contract, those put out on the street might claim to be
victims of guilt by association. But the language in the contract is clear:
The use and distribution of drugs in Green Meadows will lead to eviction
for those whose apartments are used as a base of operations by drug dealers.

This is not just a local phenomenon. Last week, in a case from California,
the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld a housing agency's right to evict
a tenant for the drug-related activities of individuals who either shared
or frequented the same apartment. (Green Meadows is not a public housing
facility, but it does have some tenants receiving Section 8 subsidies from
the federal government.)

As evictions begin to mount at Green Meadows, the implications of the high
court's unambiguous support of a landlord's prerogative to evict entire
households will be understood by all who live in that community.

The most effective tool for rooting out drugs and crime is to remove the
support structures criminals depend on for cover. This includes expelling
from the neighborhood relatives or friends who, out of negligence or
misguided love, open their homes in places such as Green Meadows to the
community's oppressors.

Is it really too much to ask that parents or guardians monitor the
activities of their children or guests for behavior that would jeopardize
their living situation?