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First, thanks to NYAPRS and the New York State Coalition for Adult Home Reform (NYSCAHR) for making it possible for adult home residents to be part of New York State's legislative process.

Next, thanks is given to the State Legislature and to Governor George Pataki for finally increasing New York's portion of SSI for adult home residents to allow for a $14 per month raise starting January 2006 and a $15 per month raise starting January 2007. The monthly personal needs allowance will be $159 per month for those of us who receive only SSI, and $179 per month for those who receive two checks: SSI and SSDI.

And most importantly thanks to our peers—fellow adult home residents—because your voices were heard by those in power. This is a first victory—however there is much more to achieve! The challenge to continue the quest for complete adult home reform begins now!

For adult home residents from New York City, Westchester, Suffolk and Duchess counties, our trip to Albany, although long, turned out to be an interesting experience—and a winning one.

In the process of arriving at the opening press conference in Albany, those residents and advocates on the Coney Island bus were treated to the day's first Kodak moment. Noor Alam, an organizer with CIAD rushed into the proceedings. He announced that the Adult Home Daily News was "hot off the press" and introduced its star correspondent, Irene Kaplan of Surf Manor.

Kaplan, vice president of Surf's resident council and advocate for this cause since 1985, interviewed fellow Policy Committee member Robert Gardner from Brooklyn Manor. The day's main focus was the need for a personal needs allowance increase and Mr. Gardner explained that the current monthly allowance ($130 or $150 per month depending on the recipient) wasn't enough to live on.

After lunch, Woody Wilson, a resident of Palisade Gardens home in Yonkers, and President of CIAD's Board of Directors, opened the 2005 Speak-Out by introducing me as the session's first speaker. As keynote presenter, I stuck to the topic of the day: the need for an increased allowance with the theme, "It Isn't Enough Now, It Wasn't Enough Then." I asked the question: when the average daily allowance is $3.38, how can anyone receiving $130 per month even afford round trip New York City transit fare ($4 per day)?!

After I concluded my presentation and before resident speakers were able to eloquently speak about the need for more independent case management, housing choices, air-conditioning and a clothing allowance, a number of state legislators arrived on the scene. They included Senator Morahan, the new chair of the Mental Health Committee, and Senator Golden, who chairs the powerful Aging Committee.

The afternoon's biggest surprise for those of us who made the trip from Coney Island, was the appearance of Democratic Assemblywoman Adele Cohen.

After the Speak-Out, residents and advocates broke into thirteen groups to meet with legislators in their offices. Not only did we share our feelings with the legislators who came to the Speak-Out, we also had closer encounters with them or their aides in their offices—that is what lobbying is. Adult home residents were proud to be part of the legislative process that day.