Goal: Alaskans with psychiatric illnesses must be able to secure accessible and affordable housing in their communities.
Discussion
Accessible, available and affordable housing is key to the independence and full participation of Alaskans with psychiatric disorders in their local communities. Historically, some people with mental illness led "out of sight, out of mind" lives in segregated institutions. Despite recent downsizing of institutions, freedom of choice in where to live remains an elusive goal for many Alaskans with psychiatric disabilities.
Mental health consumers need a place to live for recovery to begin. Some mentally ill people live in shelters and on the streets. Young people with mental illness are in transition from their parents' residences to their own. Others experience late onset of a mental illness and need assisted living care; those with medical complications require skilled nursing care. Wherever a person enters the system, regular, safe, decent, sanitary housing is necessary to begin a rehabilitation program.
Key issues in housing for people with mental illness include: housing for the elderly with mental illness; recognition that children may become homeless due to a parent having a mental illness; and housing for adults who may have additional diagnostic issues such as substance abuse, criminal behaviors or correctional system involvement. Support services and advocacy may be needed for the percentage of mentally ill people whose conditions result in behaviors that make them less desirable tenants.
Multiple obstacles prevent people with psychiatric disorders from securing adequate housing in the community. To start with, low income levels make rent payments unaffordable or limit access to mortgage loans; even when people with disabilities secure government assistance, they are the group most likely to live in severely inadequate housing.
For some Alaskans with mental disabilities, the choice of where to live is limited by funding agencies or service providers. Funding for support services is often tied to congregate living situations or service providers are only able to provide support service within a group setting. Service providers rather than people with mental disabilities own the homes where services are provided. Developing a community-based support structure independent of housing programs requires considerable redirection of funds and extensive program development time.
A Shared Vision I gave direction to successful efforts to increase access to housing for people with mental illness. Funds were made available to assist providers with grant writing for the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation that increased the number of units available to consumers. Purchase, renovation, and new construction were funded under these initiatives. Leveraged resources to increase the number of Section 8 vouchers targeted persons with psychiatric disabilities. Recently, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority has taken an active leadership role in working with other agencies to expand access to housing for their beneficiaries.
Actions
242. The Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities will work with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and providers to adjust program rules to be more consumer friendly, for example, assuring that no individual with a psychiatric disorder should lose his or her housing in the community during short periods of inpatient treatment.
Responsible party: Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
243. The Alaska Mental Health Board recommends that an equitable portion of federal and state housing funds be designated for persons with psychiatric disorders. The funds should be integrated to finance the housing component of a unified system of treatment, services and supports for persons with psychiatric disorders.
244. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority will work with Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to assure that special needs housing funds are available for residential treatment facilities.
Responsible party (actions 2-3): Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
245. The Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities will work with providers to assure as much consumer choice as possible in types of housing arrangements and those with whom housing is shared.
246. The Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities will continue to provide grant writing and other technical assistance to service providers on accessing available state and federal funds for housing.
Responsible party (actions 4-5): Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
247. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Department of Health and Social Services and advocates will develop initiatives to ensure affordable housing (e.g., home modification programs, requiring that housing vouchers be considered as income by rental agents, building owners, banks and mortgage companies).
Responsible party: Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Department of Health and Social Services
248. Regional Housing Authorities and communities will be encouraged to develop housing plans that include provision of housing for people with disabilities.
Responsible party: Regional Housing Authorities
249. Fully fund the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's proposed budgets to expand special needs housing, especially mental health consumers' housing alternatives.
Responsible party: Alaska State Legislature
250. Target state housing funds towards rural communities which are not eligible for federal housing funds.
Responsible party: Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
251. Redirect housing funding away from separate housing or housing that requires special terms or conditions and toward housing in the most inclusive settings with maximum control by people with disabilities.
Responsible party: Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
252. The Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and advocates will supply information regarding numbers and extent of need to the legislature, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation.
Responsible party: Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
253. Advocacy groups will request training from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation on ways to acquire state and federal funds for people with disabilities to own their own homes and develop initiatives for individual home ownership.
Responsible party: Advocacy groups