Seniors form new organization

by  

Martha Marshall, Senior Central LAC President

The Senior Housing Central Advisory Council is now a reality for senior housing in CHA. The three senior LACs have come together to chart new courses and give direction to the CHA.

Our reasons for organizing this group are many. Primarily, we want to be in position to assist the powers that be in determining the future of senior housing in Chicago. I believe that if senior leadership is to be viable, we must be at the planning table from the inception of an idea, through the planning and completion. Senior housing in this city has undergone a metamorphosis over the past eight to 10 years with the housing of young and disabled individuals in the same buildings with senior residents. The introduction of alcohol and drug dependent persons into senior housing and the very serious neglect of many of the properties has caused us to be in a very severe crisis at this time.

We must be leading the charge for change and involved in the lobbying of Congress and any other powers that be who have the capability to assist us in making senior housing relevant in the 21st century. We are the people who have worked and raised and educated our children who contributed to making this country, city and community. Therefore, we must be consulted in planning for the future.

We want to make CHA more than the negative feelings that it generates today by introducing the world to a different people than those they have heard about and see in the media daily. Our society must know that there are seniors and disabled who care more about their community and are also concerned for others, who are continuing to carry on the fight for a better quality of life despite their economic status.

We very much appreciate what others have done in the past and they have done great things. Time, however, has brought about a change.

And so, as we launch out into the deep, we understand that there is much to do, many prayers to be prayed, much new ground to be conquered, and many new frontiers to be entered.

We believe that we are up to the task and that all will know that our decision to go in this new direction is righteous.

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