Wheeling reconsidering Philhaven; supporters host meeting
As the Wheeling plan commission prepares on Thursday to reconsider Philhaven, a low-income housing complex for people with mental or physical disabilities, supporters of the project have scheduled a community meeting to try to ease concerns about the type of residents who would live in the building.
The Wheeling village board rejected Philhaven, a 50-unit building at 2418-2422 W. Hintz Road, last month without discussion after the plan was unanimously approved by the plan commission.
The developer, Daveri Development Group LLC, has changed and resubmitted the proposal to the plan commission, which will discuss the proposal during its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at village hall.
Philhaven has generated controversy — both because of the residents who would occupy the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and because of concerns about parking and flooding.
The North/Northwest Suburban Task Force on Supportive Housing for Individuals With Mental Illness will host a community meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, 181 W. Dundee Road in Wheeling.
Hugh Brady, co-president of the task force and board president of National Alliance on Mental Illness Illinois, said the community meeting is part of the ongoing campaign to educate the public about mental illness and recovery.
“Unless they have a mental illness themselves or have a family member or friend with a mental illness, many people are unaware of just how prevalent mental illness is or how great the prospects for recovery are,” Brady said.
The meeting will focus on housing needs and opportunities for people living with disabilities and will include a discussion with a panel of industry experts as well as a question-and-answer session.
“We hope this community meeting will help dispel some of the myths that surround these all-too-common brain disorders,” Brady said.