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On November 20th , this reporter attended a housing forum sponsored by the New York State Campaign for Mental Health Housing.
The purpose of the forum was to update consumers on the supportive housing situation, hear their complaints and educate them about how to improve their situation. The main theme of the forum, which was repeated again and again, is to “preserve, reform and develop” supportive housing in New York State. We must fight to preserve existing housing in the state, which is always in danger of falling apart or being converted into mainstream housing; to reform existing housing physically, legally and politically and to develop (find or build) new housing to accommodate the ever increasing homeless population. The forum organizers showed a short film describing the battle for supportive housing and then held a discussion involving a panel of officials and consumers with a consumer audience. Some important matters were discussed.
The necessity of bringing housing providers, bankers, housing developers and government officials together to build new supportive housing is not just an idealistic concept, but a financially wise idea. Instead of wasting countless dollars on hospitals, jails and shelters, the powers that be could provide productive, economically sound housing. As the fact-sheet for the forum stated, “safe affordable housing with support services such as job training, counseling and independent living workshops, increases the chances of recovery for people with mental illnesses.”
Since supportive housing was promoted and created, the state has seen a $12,000 drop in money spent in the use of publicly funded services. There has been an 85% reduction in emergency shelter use; a 60% reduction in use of state psychiatric institutions; a 49% drop in hospital use and an 85% reduction in use of prisons.
It is important for consumers to organize and stay involved in the housing fight by attending rallies and contacting their representatives. With the helpful support of politicians like New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York State Assemblyman James Brennan, we may see positive changes on behalf of the mentally ill.
Many consumers at the forum were given the chance to vent their anger and to complain about the size of their apartments, and the threat of losing their housing if they did not comply with their treatment plans and taking the medications that can have serious side-effects on their physical health. Other complaints included the scarcity of scattered site housing and the problem of not being treated and given privacy like “normal” tenants. In general, the forum was very informative and encouraging, but left the impression that there is a lot of work to be done.