Wednesday, April 21, 2004

A place to call home (New York)
Albany Times-Union story reprinted at the NAMI web site - " Advocates for those with mental disorders say they do better in their own places. But finding a permanent residence can become a real-life odyssey rife with missteps. ... The wait can be long. Tens of thousands of New York residents suffer mental disabilities that make it hard to negotiate a lease, talk to or avoid neighbors, keep a job, even shop for groceries. Willing landlords are few and far between, despite rent subsidies. To them, mental illness spells junkies in the hallway or a screaming match over cracked ceilings. Evictions are common. Many mentally ill tenants have a history of homelessness. Many have been addicted, abused or suicidal. But the idea of home won't relent. Each day they struggle, backed by case managers, peer counselors and staff, to find permanent refuge and launch a better life."