Connecticut Friends Living In Same House Might Be Forced By City To Split Up

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Some Connecticut friends who live together and call themselves a family find themselves in the middle of a housing dispute.

As CBS2's Anna Werner reported, the group of 11 people -- longtime friends and their families -- decided years ago they wanted to live together.

They purchased a nine-bedroom house in Hartford's historic West End neighborhood -- which is also home to the city's mayor and Connecticut's governor -- and moved in last August. They have a legal-partnership agreement and a shared bank account to pay expenses.

"It's not a cult, there is no religion, there is no intermingling," said Julia Rosenblatt, one of the residents.

They say it works well, but some neighbors apparently don't agree.

Someone complained to the city, which determined in October that the living arrangement violates the zoning code for the neighborhood. The law specifies that no more than two unrelated people can live in the same home.

That came as a surprise to the group.

"We did some research, and the reason why we thought we were OK is because there's ... a density clause -- only a certain amount of people per acre," Rosenblatt said. "And we more than fit that."

Last month, they appealed and lost.

They now have to decide whether to fight the decision in court or break up the group and sell.

The house's residents include three couples, three children and two single people. There are three teachers, a grants manager and a mental health therapist.

"I think there's a real extension of our values as people," said Kevin Lamkins, an English teacher. "The values I'm speaking of are sustainability, cooperation, living well but within your means."

The city would not comment on the situation.

An attorney CBS2 spoke with says the zoning laws were made to prevent boarding hotels and encourages the city to take another look at its definition of a family.