As President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-BA, I am writing to let you know that we support the Catherine Alice Gardens permanent supportive housing development for individuals and families living with disabilities which is being proposed for 345 Eric Dr. in Palatine by the Housing Task Force, UP Development, the Kenneth Young Center and the Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health.
There is a severe shortage of supportive housing for individuals with disabilities in the north and northwest suburbs. This shortage leads to many other problems,
including people being forced to live in inappropriate housing, or with aging
parents who will not be able to support them indefinitely. It also leads to homelessness, untreated mental illness and, oftentimes, the expensive and inappropriate placement of many people with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes and even jails or prisons.
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To meet this need, our northwest suburban area must provide additional housing that is both connected with supportive services and is affordable. The demand for this type of housing far exceeds the available supply.
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As President of NAMI BA, I am aware of numerous cases where many people with
mental illness need housing.
Initial plans say that, when completed, Catherine Alice Gardens will include 33 studio, one and two-bedroom leased apartments for individuals or small families with disabilities. This development will be an important step toward reducing shortage of supportive housing for people with disabilities and in helping the residents begin their journeys toward recovery. It will also add a valuable
residential property to Palatine’s tax rolls. We believe that this project is worthy of support from federal, state and local agencies as well as from private donors. I am pleased to provide this letter of support for Catherine Alice Gardens, and the efforts of the Task Force, Kenneth Young Center, Alexian Center, and UP Development to bring it into existence. My signature represents many people in our organization. If you save a life, you save a world.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. Jason, President NAMI BA
