Senior housing critics misinformed

I am shocked and disgusted at the many hate-filled e-mails going through the Grayslake community about the proposed Mercy Housing site for lower-income, disabled and senior citizens.

The e-mails, many of them anonymous, are full of “shock words” like projects, Cabrini-Green and Robert Taylor Homes. They talk about the extra police presence that will be needed to control “those” people and how much their property values are going to plummet.

I was happy to read about the project and after some research, encouraged my mother to make inquiries about a possible waiting list for such a facility.

My mom lives in Fox Lake in a low-income senior facility. She is 70 years old and was recently diagnosed with cancer. We had a hard time finding affordable, low-income housing in Lake County in good neighborhoods when she needed to move closer to her children.

The waiting lists are long and growing longer by the day as more and more seniors fall through their financial safety net in these hard times. With the escalating costs of healthy food and prescription drugs, these fixed income individuals deserve a safe, affordable place to stay near the people they love and the activities they enjoy.

Before you fire off hateful e-mails and get out your pitchforks, do some research yourself. These are law-abiding seniors who are active in their communities as volunteers and tend to be local shoppers. They look like your parents, your grandparents and your neighbors.

Go to the meetings with an open mind and get all the information so you can make an informed decision on the potential building. Come up and say hello. I will introduce you to my mom.

Debbie Jones

Round Lake