Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
(Publication Archives)

Community Connections, Spring 2003

The Adult Housing Dilemma Continues
By Jeff Keller, Deputy Director of NAMI-NYS

Last fall, a state inter-agency workgroup was formed to address the abuse and neglect of persons with mental illness in adult homes, which had been uncovered and exposed in a series of articles in the New York Times. The workgroup recommended that 6,000 new community housing beds be created over a seven-year period for those with mental illness who have been inappropriately housed in adult homes. The number of people living with mental illness who need appropriate housing also includes at least 20,000
more people who are incarcerated, homeless or in temporary housing.

The governor’s 2003 budget proposal would provide $65 million for 1,000 new housing beds. Another 1,000 beds are slated for development in 2004. These beds would be ear-marked not only for adult home residents, but also for former psychiatric center inpatients and homeless persons. Ten percent of the beds are to be set aside for children. The decision regarding who gets the beds will rest with the Point of Access committee in each locality where the beds exist. Adult home residents will probably be given the lowest priority for these beds because they already have housing, inappropriate as it may be.

There is yet another dilemma that will hamper the governor’s proposal. The development of 800 of these beds depends upon $52 million in matching fund which must be provided by the state’s localities. Because the state’s localities are so financially stressed, few are expected to spend money on anything new this year. Thus, it is uncertain how many beds will actually be funded in the near future. These 800 beds are classified as congregate housing beds: i.e, apartments with case management support that can be developed more quickly and more cheaply than other housing and would be more appropriate for many adult home residents. Unfortunately, this classification of housing is not addressed in the 2003 budget, although 600 are slated for construction in 2004.

The New York State Coalition for Adult Home Reform, which consists of groups advocating for adult home residents with mental health illness, has urged the state to at least commit to funding 1,000 new scattered site beds in 2003. The Coalition has also asked that the state give adult home residents priority access to 250 “high needs” community beds that are currently in development. Finally, the Coalition is advocating for the establishment of a statutorily-required waiting list which will provide ongoing documentation regarding how many people need housing at a given time.

posted 6/13/03