'My son ... would have liked (Boeger)'

As co-president of NAMI-Northwest Suburban of Arlington Heights and as a member of the board for The North/Northwest Suburban Task Force on Supportive Housing for Individuals with Mental Illness, I very much support the proposed building project on Boeger Place in Arlington Heights.

As this project was not approved by the Village of Arlington Heights in May 2010 and is now in a lawsuit which is costing Arlington Heights residents an unbelievable amount of money, I urge the Village of Arlington Heights to settle this suit by allowing this very much needed housing to go forward.

My son, Robert, who died 12 years ago, had bipolar disorder and would have very much liked living in his own apartment so that he could be independent of his family, but yet close enough for continuing support from them.

In addition, the support from caseworkers who would be on the premises of this proposed project would have been very helpful to keep him well.

There is such a severe shortage of housing for our loved ones with brain disorders as I have learned by the many calls I receive throughout the year on the NAMI helpline and at our family support group that I facilitate monthly.

It is my understanding that the consolidated building plan for Arlington Heights included 200 units for persons with mental illness. This is reason enough to have approved this project, but more importantly to give as many people as possible the opportunity to have what we all want in life, which is a place to live where we can have family and friends visit.

Hopefully, this project will be built so that our family members with mental illness, who are doing well in treatment and stabilized on their medication, will have less stress worrying about where they are going to live, staying healthy and well and being able to work a job.

Star Roberts

Arlington Heights