Re: National Housing Study

I was in the middle of typing something and went to another screen to get a phone number and when I came back everything I typed was gone so I don't know if it is lost in cyberspace or if it is here somewhere. I was in an apartment fire September 24, 2008 and lost pretty much everything and had to stay a month in a hotel. I had heard about a program that provides safe, affordable housing for people with a mental illness here in Dartmouth, NS. It is operated by Killam Properties, a local rental agent with a good reputaion and probably Capital District Health, represented by New Beginnings, a psychosocial rehabilitation center. I applied for the program and was accepted (moving to the top of the list because I was homeless) Previously I was living in a one bedroom at $625 and now live in a beautiful bright two bedroom for $525. I love it and the program has been great for me. Killam Properties has been great to me. They fix things right away and the really great thing is that no one in the building knows that I have a mental illness. I'm a tenant just like every other tenant!!!!! Unfortunately I don't know the name of the program but Liz Cleary is the representative from New Beginnings (902-237-3154) and Vicki Kaiser is the representative from Killam Properties (902-465-8600)

Re: National Housing Study

Working here in the lower maniland, there are several agencies that provide good housing for people with MH and or MH and Addictions. Coast mental Health is a leader and provides 24 hour support to SIL to landlord situations. Rain City is another leader and they have a place called the Patricia which is staffed and takes in MH and Addiction folks who are actively using drugs but whom agree to follow a harm reduction model as part of living in the building. A newer apartment complex called Fraser House provides support to co-occuring disorder, to folks who have and are willing to work on recovery plans for both the MH and addiction issues as a condition of living there.

Re: National Housing Study

I have the honour of living in an apartment building owned by Affirmative Industries in Dartmouth NS, that we believe is unique in Canada. The building was built in 2007, opening in November of that year. It was the result of a great vision and lots of support from 3 levels of government and community businesses and organizations. The program is called Building for Independence. To live here, you must have been diagnosed with a mental illness that is severe and persistent, on your recovery journey, eligible for disability benefits (if not working), and either working or attempting to return to work.There are 10 units and residents are of all ages and either back to work or in the process of returning to work. Each tenant has their own Equity Fund which they contribute to each month in amounts ranging from 5-10 dollars. This money is matched 6-1 by Affirmative Industries and 3-1 by the Dept. of Community Services. Tenancy is limited to 5 years and at the end of this time,we can use the money as a down payment on a house, retirement plan, education etc. It recognizes the fact that many of us have lost opportuni8ties by being ill during our peak earning years and can serve as a "hand up". Rents are set at level that is affordable should one of us become ill and have to go on Social Assistance for awhile. We have our own tenants association and are working very hard to be an asset to the community we live in. Through a government grant(applied for by the tenants,not Affirmative Industries) we are putting in a vegetable garden-the Garden of Hope and tree, shrubs and flowers on the property.More information can be obtained from Affirmative Industries, PO Box 1004, Dartmouth NS B2Y 3Z9

Re: National Housing Study

Good Shepherd Non-Profit Homes provides housing( over 400 units) inToronto and Hamilton for persons who have been homeless and are living with a mental illness. We provide a wide range of housing and a range of intensity of supports. Most of our tenants also have other challenges - dev. delay, physical health issues, substance use problems, ABI, etc.
As well as individualized supports from mental health workers, nurse, and consulting psychiatrist, we are linked with primary care to assist people with their health issues and difficulty accessing a physician. Social/rec. programs help people increase their quality of life. Our Hamilton program has developed 2 very unique programs-Good Shepherd Works that provides supported employment to 100 individuals, and Steps to Health, a lifestyle change program which is helping people deal with and prevent chronic health problems.

Re: National Housing Study

To add to previous comment:
Good Shepherd H.O.M.E.S. Program - call 905-528-3655
Tenants who are in our housing (and are represented on our Community Advisory Committee - one of whom is the chair) would be happy to speak to you.
People who have not been successful with other housing or supports have been able to keep housing, stay out of hospital, improve their lives, make friends, work when and how they are able, and to improve their health (both mental and physical).

Re: National Housing Study

I live in Northern Ontario, and haven't found any places to help obtain housing.

The Nipissing Legal Clinic in North Bay will help, if you need legal assistance to keep the place you already have.

Your title, "National Housing Study", is very open-ended, but from the questions you want answered, it's apparent either you, or your funding sources are looking for the 'feel good' version. It's very nice that your 'National Housing Study' has found funds to find government agencies and NGO's, that we can 'pat-on-the-back' for doing their jobs.

I hope a listing will be created, with easy access to those in need; bearing in mind that those most in need aren't always hospitalized; don't have TV's nor internet; and have no idea how, or where, to turn for help.

I would have liked to participate in a study with a realistic overview of all the facts. Your study is based on internet-based answers/opinions. This single fact alone, speaks volumes to the inaccuracy of your data. It couldn't possibly reach the clients, who's answers are the most valuable.

It's my hope that soon we have a study that focuses on problems, difficulties, and areas we fall short in, so we can work on solutions, find answers, and help those most in need. Lives depend on it.

Daily I battle severe, major depression and anxiety, and consider myself one of the lucky ones.

Re: National Housing Study

I tried to find supported housing and was completely unsuccessful either to not being eligible (despite being a sole support parent coming out of an abusive relationship and then being hospitalized for 4 months due to a major depressive episode) or to long (crazy long) waiting lists. Some numbers I heard were 10 years or more!! What I finally did was find a place to stay in a Co-op housing unit. Westboro Housing Co-op. I did not disclose about my struggle (mental illness) nor did I try for a subsidized unit as I knew it was impossible to get in that way.

Re: National Housing Study

I have resided in poorly-constructed co-operative housing, Tyee Co-op, since March 1993. My three-bedroom unit is too big for me now, since my two sons have grown up and my 13-year-old daughter stays with me 42.8% of the time. The units are deteriorating, mice-infested, silverfish-infested and full of black mould. I have four fllights of stairs, difficult for my knee injured in Dec. 2006. I have been on the waiting list with British Columbia Housing Corporation since May 2005. Perhaps I am not getting anywhere because my unit is subsidized through CMHC. I am looking for a two-bedroom flat. A few years ago, such two doors up Wilson Street, Edith Gunning Court was built by Capital Mental Health Association. Edith Gunning advocated for housing for the mentally ill but I know of famiilies residing there who do not have mental health issues or any disability issues. The son of one such family was in my daughter's class at school. I applied twice to be admitted to Edith Gunning Court; no luck. During the past two years, I have suffered greatly from loud construction noise, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or illegally outside these bylaw hours) from a huge condo project, Dockside Green. I felt so desperate that I attempted suicide on May 26, 2008. I was in hospital for over three weeks, the first four days in ER. What annoys me most is that Edith Gunning Court is not fulfilling the wishes of its namesake.

Re: National Housing Study

I live in calgary alberta and was living in mental health housing for almost a year. It was also housing for street outreach. They provided you with housing and afordable living while they worked on goals with you. It is a very good idea to have this in place for mental health clients because it helps us feel part of the normal society. The program was called street outreach services.

Re: National Housing Study

I didn't take part in the study when you first sent me an e-mail because I'm not aware of any organization/agency that has a housing program to help people with Mental Illness find suitable, safe, clean, affordable housing.
In the small town where I live, single people living with mental illness, (or anyone on a limited income, for that matter) as well as those with families, have to choose from whatever places are available for rent in the town.
Most times the situation is this: The cheaper the rent, the "cheaper" the place-poor/out-of-date wiring, no landlord maintenance, no fire safety checks, endless stairs, paper-thin walls between these cheap apartments...I think you get the idea.
Where I live there is "geared-to-income" housing available, but the waiting list is EXTREMELY lengthy and the criteria is not necessarily based on urgency or illness.
I have been on ODSP since it became available; before that I was on Mothers' Allowance Disability.
Until I was FINALLY at the top of the list for Housing and told there was a unit available for my sons & I, I had been paying "full market price" even though that meant cutting into "food $" to pay the rent (because the amount for shelter on social assistance was "capped-off" at a maximum $ amount...and good luck finding a suitable, clean, safe place for your family if you had/have limited income).
I have lived with the effects and symptoms of mental illness from a young age; I did reach a point in my life when I could no longer work and that is still the case today. The stress of living "penny to penny", month after month has taken it's toll lately, especially now that I am a few years away from 65.
What help will be available for me then? Where will I go? My sons both struggle with mental illness and finding/keeping a place to stay/rent. Right now, I hope the one that lives with me doesn't decide to move out because then I will be classed as "over-housed" and have to leave the housing unit we've been living in.
The situation with my sons has been this: They each are young men in their early 20's and want a comfortable safe place of their own and independence from Mom (me).
Each of them has been able to stay healthy for a short time only, but then has had to move back here with me. So far, the only housing-finding support for them (as young people with mental illness/learning disabilities & 1 with addiction issues) has been me. There is no program or list or directory to accesss-not that I'm aware of.

I'm apologize for the apparent rambling but I feel helpless and trapped most days...trapped into poverty now that I can no longer work full-time. I feel like I've been punished with the poverty.
I truly hope the future changes up here in the North so my sons can receive the extra support they need in their lives.
I hope, like another blogger, that there will be a written housing study available to focus on real situations where we need answers and solutions. I'm willing to take part in that.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Re: National Housing Study

Previously known as, "Bay City Woman", I'm re-submitting my comments, and questionnaire answers. Guess I just missed the previous deadline somehow, and I was unable to login my first profile. Please enter my submission in the 2nd round, and thank you for offering a gift of your bracelet. I shall proudly wear it as a badge of honour.


Please read the following comments:

I live in Northern Ontario, and haven't found any places to help obtain housing.

The Nipissing Legal Clinic in North Bay will help, if you need legal assistance to keep the place you already have.

Your title, "National Housing Study", is very open-ended, but from the questions you want answered, it's apparent either you, or your funding sources are looking for the 'feel good' version. It's very nice that your 'National Housing Study' has found funds to find government agencies and NGO's, that we can 'pat-on-the-back' for doing their jobs.

I hope a listing will be created, with easy access to those in need; bearing in mind that those most in need aren't always hospitalized; don't have TV's nor internet; and have no idea how, or where, to turn for help.

I would have liked to participate in a study with a realistic overview of all the facts. Your study is based on internet-based answers/opinions. This single fact alone, speaks volumes to the inaccuracy of your data. It couldn't possibly reach the clients, who's answers are the most valuable.

It's my hope that soon we have a study that focuses on problems, difficulties, and areas we fall short in, so we can work on solutions, find answers, and help those most in need. Lives depend on it.

Daily I battle severe, major depression and anxiety, and consider myself one of the lucky ones.

Re: National Housing Study

living in a small town we reall do not have housing for people dealing with addictions or Mental Health issues. People must leave the town living and try near by cities which are stuggling with housing for people in poverty and this means no housing fo people dealing with addictions or Mental Health issues.

Re: National Housing Study

Thanks. I moved into the Lore Krill Housing Co-op 2 months ago. I am finding that I like it here. I have a good opportunity to make some friends, learn about how the co-op runs and contribute to it. It is a very good learning experience in terms of system finance, philosophy, policy, and architecture. It is a great feeling to have an alternative to late, decadent, consumer-corporate capitalism, and the anxiety and universal commodification it entails. I can clearly see that the human relations deserve better, and the co-op system is one way of moving forward, instead of backward. Some notes... this particular co-op does have a requirement that 'tenants' must be able to "live independently" in terms of capable decision-making about their own daily living - so as not to cause "hardship" to the 'Landlord' and other 'tenants'. (yes, the language is a reflection of the times we live in.)

Next. Although there tends to be less privacy here, this does not bother me. I can handle socialism, as long as it does not try to become communism... or to use a future example, some sort of Urban monad system that has a near-zero quotient of human privacy. (see Robert Silverberg) At any rate, it is clear that that the party is over. Give up your internal combustion engines. Instead of being a compartmentalized person, try a more holistic approach to live. Do not confuse your beliefs with facts... hold on to them as constructs - and re-assess them from time to time.

Re: National Housing Study

I live in Calgary and know a place called Calgary Dream Centre and they have 150 centres all over North America. They provide "comprehensive Client Care ” to men who have a genuine desire to experience change in their lives. These men may be categorized as the poor, the homeless, and others who have fell on hard times (many are professional tradesmen). and Calgary Dream Centre provides onsite re-training for the individual in need. A Hotel that has been completely re-furbished and is very unique with 5 star kitchen, and beautiful facilities for rental. People living there have to pay a very nominal rate for food and lodging. I know a person who has been living there and going through 'Career and life management skills ' training and has been successful so far.

Re: National Housing Study

In October 07/08 the Alberta provincial government funded a pilot project to provide housing assistance for addicts and for those managing a wide range of mental illnesses along with being homeless. It was in keeping with the "harm reduction" approach to mental wellness. It was one of Calgary's first attempts to ending homelessness instead of the band aid solutions offered for years in terms of how to manage homelessness within major urban areas.

The Pathways to Housing committee along with a team of doctors and psychiatrists/psychologists/medical professionals were able to identify those who needed hospitalization and immediate medical care as opposed to those who simply need a place to live. Many of the homeless do not, or for whatever reason are unable to access health care services. These people are alone to manage severe and sometimes crippling mental illnesses; where the risk of self harm or harm to others is greatly increased. It appears that homelessness and mental illness tend to go hand in hand. Most people who are homeless are in need of medical care in one form or another.

So this program called "Pathways to Housing", along with the team of doctors allows for permanence, structure and 24h health care service for those who need it. This type of project (as reported by the Calgary Herald, Oct. 2008), suggests a cost of $35,000/person, as opposed to nearly $100,000 per person for those on the street utilizing the available "walk-in" health care services. This one year pilot project is now part of a 10 year housing project within Calgary. Pathways to Housing are also looking for partners and sponsors for this incredible effort and unique opportunity to end homelessness.

Re: National Housing Study

Within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador Stella Burry has done an amazing job with supportive housing. They have what is termed here as wrap around services. They not only help individuals maintain housing but also help then move into recovery. The support they offer can be found in programs like New Beginnings program that helps individuals start thinking about employment and gives them an opportunity to learn new skills. CanDo which gives individuals hands on experience in employment, and helps individuals prepare for interviews, how to dress, discover their employment goals. They have an open mic night where individuals can share their talents with others.

website - http://www.stellaburry.ca/

Phone 709 - 738-7805

Re: National Housing Study

Within the Region of Niagara there are several agencies that help with housing. Prefered agencies include: The Hope Centre, CMHA and the Apartment Centre.

Re: National Housing Study

The Niagara region does have many agencies that provide housing help, and rent subsidies. There are also several drop-in centers or emergency shelters for those in need of emergency and safe housing.

If you would like more information about these agencies you can contact me via email.