PADS project needed a better solution
I appreciate PADS and their initiatives to help those in need; however, I did not endorse the proposed use of Midlothian Manor in Lake Zurich to house chronically homeless mentally ill individuals in a densely populated residential area.
The surrounding residents had valid concerns about the activities that could affect their personal safety and home values.
The reality of the financial impact was already hitting home for some residents. Homeowners in the process of selling their homes were now unable to sell as a direct result of the proposed use.
In essence, PADS was expecting homeowners to take on a personal financial burden to benefit their own initiatives.
The homeowners became a means to PADS ends.
Security was a concern because the facility would only be staffed with a 24-hour $10/hr attendant, no on-site mental health professionals, and no trained security personnel.
By housing the residents in a facility designated for "chronically homeless mentally ill," is in essence labeling them for society to judge them solely by their circumstances/disability. They would be better served placed in apartments throughout a community where they are not categorized by their illness just their need for a place to live.
Joel Williams, executive director of PADS Lake County, implied in a PADS Blog on Jan. 30, 2015, in response to the opposition from stakeholders surrounding Midlothian, that the opposing parties do not embody empathy. This could not be further from the truth and was an unjust characterization.
Many of the surrounding residents have endorsed many of PADS initiatives by donating their time/resources, and contribute to other charitable organizations.
We should help out the less fortunate; however, innocent parties should not be expected to take on an undue burden. The greater good would be served utilizing an alternative solution.
Mary Bitterman
Lake Zurich