Street roots., December 30, 2016, Page 4, Image 4

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Page 4
Street Roots •
Dec. 30, 2016-Jan. 5, 2017
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BY A M AN DA WALDROUPE
with serious mental illnesses or substance
use disorders, and staff are typically onsite
at all hours. Residents are not required to
here is hardly a population of people
participate in services that may be available
who face more barriers to securing
affordable housing than those who live through this housing. Supportive housing
comes with various services, such as mental
with severe mental illnesses, such as
health counseling or skills training, that the
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical
resident
is required to participate in. Crisis
depression and psychosis.
respite housing provides housing and
So in 2015, when the Oregon Legislature
psychiatric care to people experiencing a
created the first fund solely dedicated to
psychotic episode or acute mental illness for
building affordable housing for people who
up to 30 days.
live with severe and persistent mental
When the Legislature set aside the $20
illnesses, both the housing and mental
million, one impetus was an agreement
health community knew this could be a
between the state of Oregon and
gamechanger.
the U.S. Department of Justice,
“This is completely
reached in 2012 after a lengthy
unprecedented,” said Chris
federal investigation into the
Bouneff, executive director of
conditions of the Oregon State
Oregon’s chapter of the National
Hospital. The state agreed to
Alliance for Mental Illness.
create
and fund more community-
“There have been dribbles here
based, rather than institutional,
and there from the general fund.
mental health treatment programs.
It sends a strong statement that
“There is a recognition that
this (housing) is important.”
there is an obligation,” Bouneff
But it hasn’t been easy.
said.
The $20 million allocated this
“This is a very small percentage
"This is com«
past year to Oregon Housing and
of the population - part of the 1
pletely
un­
Community Services was
precedented. percent who have the most
expected to create hundreds of
serious mental illnesses in our
new housing units designed to
. . . I t sends a
population,” said Bob Beckett,
help people transition from
strong state«
executive director of Columbia
commitment at Oregon State
ment that this Care Services Inc., a mental
Hospital, recover from psychotic
health services provider in the
episodes, receive appropriate care (housing) is
Portland metro area, Medford and
im
portant."
and treatment and gain skills to
Southern Oregon.
live as independently as possible.
CHRIS BOUNEFF,
“Most of them are just a step
E
X
E
C
U
TIV
E
It is also the first time that
D IR E C TO R OF down from (living at) the Oregon
O R E G O N 'S
OHCS and the Oregon Health
C H A P T E R O F TH E State Hospital,” Beckett said. “I
N A T IO N A L
Authority have partnered to
A L L IA N C E FOR think you’d have to say that if
create an application to fund
M E N T A L ILLNESS.
they’re in the State Hospital,
housing development.
they’re not able manage their own
But OHCS, the state agency
illnesses.”
tasked with developing and
People with mental illness often have
preserving housing in the state, has
irregular and poor rental histories, criminal
allocated just a fraction of the money -
records and other issues that show up on a
$3.76 million of the $20 million available -
background check, making them poor
due to funding requirements potential
candidates for rental housing in the eyes of
applicants found difficult to meet.
many landlords.
The process has been a learning
“There is a short supply of affordable
experience on what exactly constitutes the
housing, then you layer these types of
best housing for people living with a mental
complications on top of that, and what you
illness.
have available ... is inaccessible to people
A new application round is expected to
with serious mental illnesses,” Bouneff said.
open in January, and with the funding
The first round of applications were
requirements changed, more mental health
reviewed in the fall, and five out of seven
and housing providers will apply for the
applicants received $6.2 million in funding in
remaining $16.28 million. The money must
early November.
be awarded by the end of June, the
Shangri-La, a mental health services
conclusion of the state budget biennium.
The $20 million will fund several types of
See MENTAL HEALTH, page 5
housing. Supported housing applies to those
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