Mental
Health Association in New York State, Inc. |
Community Connections, Spring 2003Soaring
Rents Hurt Consumers and Providers In the last two
years, Ulster County was awarded almost one million dollars in HUD funding
to develop or maintain housing for individuals with special needs. The program provides permanent housing and ten hours of staff support each day to six individuals. MHA’s program differs from the typical Office of Mental Health housing because it provides permanent rather than transitional housing for individuals with mental illness and it provides more staff support that the traditional permanent Supported Housing Program does. After the initial HUD Super NOFA application was submitted and award notices were sent out, our consortium began focusing on other housing needs in the community. The Consortium soon realized that housing was not just a problem for individuals with special needs. Housing in Ulster County has become a problem for anyone looking for safe, affordable housing for themselves and their families. Currently, the cost for a one-bedroom apartment, not including utilities, located in the City of Kingston is about $600. On the outskirts of the city, this can be $700 a month, without utilities. The cost for a two-bedroom apartment located in the city has jumped to about $800 per month and a three-bedroom apartment, is now over $1000. This is an increase of over twenty-five percent in only two years. The impact of rising rents on the County has been significant. Individuals who work in human service agencies are not able to afford housing and are receiving Section 8 vouchers themselves. Businesses are unwilling to relocate into the County because their employees cannot find affordable housing. For agencies like the MHA in Ulster County, it has become very difficult to find apartments to provide shelter and services for individuals who have a mental illness. Since the Ulster County Housing Consortium became aware of the need for housing, it has continued to apply for federal HUD funding. In addition, the Consortium will begin to educate the community about the housing needs. The biggest obstacle to developing more affordable housing has been the town councils and the citizens. Many plans for development met with strong resistance from people who said, “not in our back yard.” In order to change the perception of what people consider “affordable housing” and who will reside in this housing, members of the Consortium will attend town meetings and hold informational sessions during the next year. This will be a huge undertaking, but hopefully will result in some very positive changes for the county and its housing needs. posted 6/13/03 |