OBTAINING HOUSING: THE POSSIBLE DREAM?
A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through the Supportive Housing Maze

by Judith Carrington

Obtaining psychiatric housing for my daughter was one of the hardest aspects of living with the realities of mental illness. It was a revelation that professionals would let me play an active part in the process, and it changed my life when my efforts were successful.

After two years of waiting for my daughter's overworked case manager to find housing for her, I became impatient and decided to undertake the search myself. After all, who cares more or will work harder than a family member?

My daughter and I hadn't always worked together compatibly, but this was different. I had set a deadline for her to be out of the house, and she had been living with me three years, itching for independence. We had to unite in this effort for her future and mine.

At first I was daunted. Many people in my NAMI support group had been unsuccessful in the housing search. Then I remembered an article in the consumer paper, City Voices, written by Daniel Stern, a housing coordinator at the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS). In the article he stated that family members and consumers have the right to conduct their own housing searches and placements.

So I set out to get informed, insert myself into the process, build relationships and keep a careful log of our search. I suggested to my daughter's case manager that we collaborate, and told her about the multiple evidence-based studies that showed the importance of family involvement in treatment and recovery. I then stated that I wanted to become a functional member of the treatment team and work toward the common goal of housing for my daughter.

I worked with the case manager in creating an HRA 2000, a general housing
application created by the New York City Human Resources Agency, which would go out to all the housing agencies in the city. To boost her chances of getting placed, I emphasized her "flexibility" (i.e. her willingness to have a roommate), included pertinent data such as her resume, work and volunteer references, and sent it all with a persuasive cover letter. In other words, I did everything I could to make the candidate attractive and her case easy to process.

CUCS turned out to be a phenomenal resource. Its on-line and regularly updated “Vacancy List” possesses an invaluable treasure of current housing openings. After narrowing down the housing choices on the vacancy list by borough and type of residence, I developed a "hit list." We were now ready to research residences as they became available. (Since new vacancy listings were posted every 20 days, I made sure that I was logged in to the site promptly at 9 am on those days.)

As I combed through the various housing agencies that had vacancies, I built up a master file in which I logged the date, who I spoke with and what was said, so that I had something to reference in follow-up calls and, later, in interviews. If I was passed around to multiple professionals, I would record this information in a letter, in which I "CCed" the agency's director, supervisor or coordinator of intake. Because I was informed and made efficient use of everyone's time, most of these people didn't take offense. Some welcomed the fact that I was easing the process. Only one out of maybe 40 contacts felt I was "intrusive."

After a flurry of calls and a couple of weeks, the first screening interview came. My daughter's case manager and I briefed her on the history of the housing organization, reasons why she would want to be a part of its program and how to be reasonable about her living preferences. I positioned the interview for her as similar to one for college admission or a new job. And she cooperated, with a growing sense that getting a home was within reach. Afterwards, I asked her what she thought of the interview process. She told me, "As long as you're real and don't put on an act, they will respond to you, but acting anxious won't work. Even if you are desperate, don't show it. Be patient. There is help but it takes a long time."

Finally, we got the word that she was accepted for "transitional" housing (a residence with weekly supervision and a roommate) by the Human Resources Agency, which not only sends out the applications, but also approves the level of housing for consumers.

With this, we had passed the first important step toward obtaining housing. But there was still a lot more to do. I had already built relationships with representatives at housing agencies around the city and, without being too pushy, kept up with them via phone calls and emails. After six months of outreach, the fateful call came: a housing agency had a place to show my daughter.

The apartment was in a lovely and well-maintained brownstone, partly inhabited by families, on a tree-lined East Village street. It had a generous living room and windowed eating nook, lots of light and a view of trees and other brownstones. The woman who was living there, the potential roommate, was gracious and friendly.

My daughter took the place immediately.

It's been six months since my daughter moved in to her new home. She and her roommate have heart-to-heart talks, help each other at difficult times and leave each other alone when necessary. Early on, we fixed up her little bedroom room with an Ikea storage unit, baskets for her clothes, nicely framed artwork, a bold Scandinavian duvet and linen curtains that emphasize the room's height. We scrubbed and cleaned, laying a kilim carpet in the living room and putting slipcovers on the couches. Her housing agency even underwrote her adoption of a kitten.

I don't want to mislead readers into thinking that housing placement is easy. We all know that the problem is one of access and scarcity. According to the New York State Office of Mental Health, there are 10,447 beds for adults in New York City who are homeless and have special needs. According to NAMI-New York State, it has been estimated that 35,000 - 70,000 more housing units are needed over the next ten years, if one factors in the thousands currently in adult homes, jails, prisons, homeless shelters and nursing homes.

The process can be overwhelming, but if you remain determined and patient, you can succeed. And it is, simply, a lot of work; in my case, it took several hours a day for five months to line up ten agency possibilities, after eliminating many for geographic undesirability. This resulted in two offers and six interviews, and we were awaiting another five before we received those offers and accepted one.

But today, my daughter feels she has a home, a place to invite friends and to call her own. This has been a crucial step for her toward complete independence and recovery.

Judith Carrington is the founder of Mental Health Resource, a consortium of consumers and family members that promotes universal mental health education upon first entry into the system. She is the author of a fact sheet on the legal rights of families within the mental health system, and provides coaching services. Her email is: mhresources@nyc.rr.com.

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