About 250 local families are being helped in a holistic, “Housing First” way.
The premise of Baltimore?s Housing First initiative ? a precept of Community Housing Associates ? is that having a place to call home is a fundamental principle of good mentalhealth.
And it?s a concept, advocates say, that is not only psychologically sound but fiscally frugal.
“Community Housing Associates was established to develop and manage affordable housing for adults and families with mental illness in Baltimore City,” Carolyn Ames, CHA?s executive director, told The Examiner. “Since 1989 we have purchased and developed a number of properties, and we rent from private landlords in the area.”
The seven-employee, $2 million-a-year nonprofit owns 107 housing units ? group homes, single-family homes and multiunit buildings ? and rents 144 apartments for qualifying low-income clients. The clients pay 30 percent of their income toward their housing.
“It?s an initiative to house people who have been street-dwelling or have been in and out of hospitals and jails ? services that are very expensive,” Ames said of the approach. “But once someone has a house, those services are used much less. … And having a place to call home gives people a quality of life that they did not have previously.”
“It?s very nice,” said Bernadette Henderson, a mother of three and CHA client of two years. “The property is very well kept up. The people are friendly. Everybody?s real nice. I?m very satisfied.”
“We also help them to link up with city services for their mental health or other medical needs,” Ames said. “We try to meet people where they are.”
The demand for CHA?s services is growing. “We actually have a two-year waiting list right now,” Ames said, adding that the nonprofit is planning to purchase an additional 20 housing units in 2008 and 40 more in 2009.
It also will cooperate with two other nonprofits ? Empire Homes of Maryland and People Encouraging People ? to add 1,800 court-ordered, subsidized units for the nonelderly disabled.
“Their work is excellent,” said Jane Plapinger, president of Baltimore Mental Health Systems, Baltimore City?s mental health authority and a parent agency of CHA. “Through them we house about 250 individuals who otherwise might be on the streets. And it?s been very successful in keeping people in housing.”
