Home is where recovery begins!
Guided by this proven fact, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) launched Housing Matters, a countywide campaign to increase awareness and educate the public about the stigma and discrimination homeless people with mental illness face when trying to secure a safe and permanent place to live.
As part of this campaign, HHSA has produced a new video titled “What is Supportive Housing?” The 14-minute documentary explains what supportive housing is, dispels the misperceptions around this highly successful service, and tells the stories of Alex, Carol and Hortencia, who are no longer living on the streets and now, have a home.
“When I was homeless, I felt depressed, helpless. I thought there was no turning around for me. I did not have any hope,” says Alex. She was homeless and suffers from severe depression. However, thanks to supportive housing, she is now on medication, is studying to be a teacher and has a permanent place to live. “They did not just find me a place to live. They found me a home.”
Supportive housing is a community-based service model that provides housing and integrates mental health services, primary health care, alcohol and drug services, case management and social services to help homeless people living with mental illness gain stability, and live more productive lives.
HHSA Mental Health Services division partners with service providers and housing developers to address the dual stigmas of homelessness and mental illness. Supportive housing units are generally integrated in new affordable housing developments, which designate a small percentage of the units for qualified participants. They hold their own leases and contribute to their rents, and are subject to the same rules and regulations as all other tenants.
“What we really are trying to do here in San Diego is break the cycle of homelessness,” says Alfredo Aguirre, Director of HHSA Mental Health Services. “The idea is to help that individual with their recovery, get them back on track and recapture the goals and dreams they had growing up. Supportive housing has been an important part of that.”
Of the more than 9,000 homeless people in the region, 25 percent suffer from mental illness.
Individuals with mental illness are much more likely to become homeless than the general population. Their mental health challenges, if left untreated, can disrupt their ability to maintain relationships, hold jobs, receive health care, respond to offers of help, or even keep a stable safe place to live.
“In the past four years, there has been a 19 percent increase in homelessness in San Diego County. For those who are struggling with mental illness, those afflictions lead to so many others that impede their ability to live a normal life,” said Peter Callstrom, Executive Director of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. “Supportive housing is the wrap-around, full continuum of services necessary to support a person to be able to lead them towards independence.”
Becoming independent is exactly what Hortencia is trying to do. She knew there was something wrong but did not want to tell her family. She thought she could deal with her issues alone. She ended up on the streets of San Diego. She was homeless for several years.
“We suffer a lot on the sidewalks. It was very hard for me. I forgot everything that I was. I forgot that I had family. What I was needing was medication. On the street is very horrible. It’s terrible,” says Hortencia, who was diagnosed with clinical depression, anxiety and Schizophrenia.
She is now on medication. She has a permanent place to live, volunteers at her local library, and would like to take training to return to the workforce.
“A home to me means to be safe. You feel normal,” Hortencia says. “It’s not normal to live on the streets.”
Copies of the “What is Supportive Housing?” video will be available to mental health providers, consumers, family members and advocates. HHSA also plans to make it available at City and County libraries. Click here learn more about supportive housing, the Housing Matters campaign, or to view the documentary.
