The Socratic Method of instruction is based on the principle that every answer gives rise to yet another question.  So it seems to be with the proposed PADS homeless shelter issue.

If the City of Park Ridge does choose to offer the Public Works Service Center (“PWSC”) on Busse Hwy. as a “compromise” site for the PADS homeless shelter that was being proposed for St. Paul of the Cross’s gymnasium – an alternative that reportedly will be discussed at the City Council meeting this coming Monday night – the question that still needs to be asked is whether the “PADS model” of homeless shelter is the best this community can do to combat homelessness.

We believe the answer to that question is: “Not based on what we’ve seen from that model or that organization so far.”

First of all, the “PADS model” should be unsatisfactory, if not outright offensive, to any community that truly cares about the homeless and wants to actually try to solve the homelessness problem.  That’s because the “PADS model” is not designed to help the homeless build ties to a particular community they might eventually call “home” but, instead, is based on “hot potato” theory: Shuffling the hot potato from one hand to another so as not to get burned.

But instead of being shuffled from hand to hand, these homeless get shuffled on a daily basis from community to community – from a church basement in Schaumburg to a school gymnasium in Arlington Heights, then to another church basement in Des Plaines, and so on.  Forming ties to any one particular community is thereby effectively discouraged and impeded.

The primary “achievement” of the “PADS model” ends up being nothing more than helping the homeless make it to yet another day of being homeless and on the street – while at the same time helping PADS to Hope, Inc. (“PADS Inc.”) maintain and grow its list of “clients” that it can use to leverage more funding from both the government and the private sector.  In the context of that second dubious “achievement,” doing something that reduces the number of homeless is actually counter-productive for PADS Inc., in much the same way finding a cure for high blood pressure would be counter-productive to the revenue stream of those drug companies that sell blood pressure medication.

A cot in a school gym or a church basement is, in many respects, less of a “home” than a car or a tent.  That’s why seemingly successful homeless organizations like www.pathwaystohousing.org operate on the simple but sound principle that “only housing cures homelessness”: Even an alcoholic, drug abuser or mentally ill person, if housed in an apartment or other stable residence, is no longer “homeless.”

So if solving anybody’s homelessness problem is really a goal of our community, then that goal needs to be taken seriously; and achieving it needs to be treated like a full-time job rather than as some temporary feel-good hobby.

Second, PADS Inc. is at the very least being disingenuous in fostering the impression that its completely secular traveling road show is some kind of religious “ministry.” Just because the people in groups like the Park Ridge Ministerial Association (“PRMA”) say it’s a “ministry” doesn’t make it so.  And those PADS supporters who view bringing a PADS shelter to Park Ridge as some kind of litmus test of one’s Christianity might do well to ask themselves: Would Jesus Christ give you a help-the-homeless high-five for providing nothing more than a bunch of cots in a school gym or similar holding area one night a week from October through April? 

While we’re on the topic of honesty, we also wonder why PADS Inc. pulled even its outdated financials from its website soon after the PRU Crew, PublicWatchdog and their readers started questioning (a) why a full one-third of PADS Inc.’s annual revenues appeared to be coming from federal and state government; (b) why PADS Inc.’s two highest-paid employees (Beth Nabors and Pat Harrington) pulled down more than 21% of PADS Inc’s 2006 total revenue PADS Inc. Form 999 [pdf]; and (c) how PADS Inc. could spend so much money for such seemingly modest results?

Third, we wonder whether the main reason for PADS Inc.’s interest in coming to Park Ridge is because its operators want a piece of our “market” for fundraising purposes.  Obviously, it’s a lot easier for them to come to our City Council or to our local business and social organizations with hat in hand and an outstretched palm when they actually have a presence here.  Heck, the PADS shelter isn’t even open for business yet but St. Paul of the Cross is already advertising the PADS lawn care service in its Sunday bulletin. 

In light of these questions and concerns, if our City Council offers the PWSC to PADS Inc. as a shelter site, the citizens of Park Ridge deserve the City Council’s adoption of the zoning ordinance text amendment in the form recommended by the Planning & Zoning Commission; and the adoption of a requirement in the “special use” permit process that shelter operators like PADS Inc. be co-applicants for any special use permit.

If this community is going to embrace as half-hearted an approach to homelessness as the “PADS model,” the least our City government can do is try to make PADS Inc. – and any other shelter operator who might want to set up shop in our community – as accountable as possible for the results of its operations.