Wednesday, December 23, 2015
How to Submit City Voices Articles
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
DOHMH Office of Consumer Affairs Annual Wellness Fair
DOHMH Office of Consumer Affairs Annual
Wellness Fair
On September 11th, 2015 the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's (DOHMH) Office of Consumer
Affairs ran a Wellness Fair from 10AM to 4PM in Harlem. Wellness is
defined as “the state or condition of being in good physical and
mental health.” In the spirit of that definition, the Wellness Fair
hosted workshops on self-care, nutrition, relationships, a trip to
the farmer's market with free health-bucks to purchase good food, HIV
prevention and yoga. Lots of useful information was available to
collect from the many and varied information tables, all
wellness-related. At the fair, one could get a blood-sugar screening,
blood pressure exam and weigh-in to determine body-mass index. A
tasty and nutritious lunch was provided and a raffle was held at the
end of the day for various expensive items of joy. You went home with
a bag full of good things, useful information
on wellness and an attractive tee-shirt. The hope is that you apply
what you learned to enhance the wellness in your daily life. The
fair is always on the Friday before SAMSHA wellness week or the third
week in September.
If you want to be alerted on events from the Office of
Consumer Affairs then email oca@health.nyc.gov
and ask to be put on their list serve.
Ward Stories: Poetry
Ward Stories
Organized by Dan Frey, Editor in Chief
Four poets are featured in the winter 2016 edition of Ward Stories: Nigel, Bonnieblue, J. Cloven and Jeffrey V. Perry. “Wonderland in the Asylum” is both trippy and frightening, especially if you have ever been inside psychosis. I know at times it can seem like the greatest escape. “My Journey” will make you repeat to yourself its repetitive chorus, so be warned. Everyone should have an admirer like J. Cloven in “August.” And lastly, Jeffrey V. Perry, a senior employee of our parent organization, Baltic Street AEH, asserts that the peer movement in mental health has come a long way. Many people working in the mental health field are “Angels Now at War,” fighting for the rights of their peers who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness.
Wonderland And The Asylum
By Nigel
I want to visit Wonderland again
I want to see The Mad Hatter
And say hello to the March Hare
I want to watch the Cheshire Cat disappear
But I am locked away in the Asylum
They say all these things are part of my illness
The imaginings of a disturbed mind
They give me pills to calm me
But I want to visit Wonderland again
The doctors think I am mad
They think I will always remain in the Asylum
I want to be free again
And play games with Tweedledum and Tweedledee
I even miss the screams of the Red Queen
Wonderland was a beautiful place
I know things were a little strange
But I felt happy and alive
Will you help me escape from the Asylum?
I have no friends here
My life is passing me by
Perhaps if I sleep awhile
Maybe I will find a way back to Wonderland
In my dreams I may find some peace
Please don't wake me up
I want to sleep forever and dream of Wonderland
My Journey
By Bonnieblue
My journey has been fierce
At times, it has been a battle field
I have cried and my screams piercing
Running, running, to where
Anywhere, but here
Fighting to grow, to live, to know
Being ill, treated poorly, why
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Having a child to love to grow
Fighting for child to live, to play, to know
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Living a lie, dying slow, hurting so
Working hard, loving job, lonely though
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Losing loved ones who are dear
Heart is broken can't repair
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Having two dogs love unconditionally
Wet kisses constantly
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Too much clutter in my mind
Not enough space left behind
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here........
August
By J. Cloven
it has been so long
your voice so deep
no longer at your mother's breast
i must confess
that i always wanted to see you
grow into the young man
you have become.
Memory serves me
we used to stroll you on the streets
of sun-stained Chula Vista
you were the best man
at my wedding
god bless you and your splendor
and the grace that he has brought us back together.
your name is symbolic
of a love once shared
the sun blazes on in August
August is majestic
August is grandeur
Angels Now at War
By Jeffrey V. Perry
We believe that people can help people!
One can't be trained to be compassionate!
Experiences are valuable!
First, we must recognize other people as people
This is different than those who are asked
To do just their job or do a task;
Those who were taught to don a completed skill,
We too know experiences earned are real.
We will say that we can, because we have.
And there is no theory on our behalf.
We are those who have been suppressed.
We overcame a system with success
The system did not ask for us to come.
It has been common sense we have spun from.
Systems cannot be asked to change themselves.
From out of systems we come back to help.
If you didn't know, there is a peer movement
In mental health growing that we represent.
A Peer-run Agency, started on Baltic Street,
Where, experience-based services compete.
We offer many, who are underserved,
To share their voices so they will be heard.
Because, we use a peer to peer experience-based,
We know our lives are far too great to waste.
Now Baltic Street A.E.H., Inc. employs
Through many programs, hundreds, it deploys.
With hospitals and community, it does give
Self-help, recovery, jobs, and a place to live
Baltic Street has been here almost twenty years.
It helped in the movement, peers helping peers.
Now that Mental Health Agencies are on board,
I believe the peer concept struck a chord.
Witness this day where peers have paved a way.
Now government listens to what peers say.
It has been amazing to see this swing,
One day all the angels in chorus will sing.
Organized by Dan Frey, Editor in Chief
Four poets are featured in the winter 2016 edition of Ward Stories: Nigel, Bonnieblue, J. Cloven and Jeffrey V. Perry. “Wonderland in the Asylum” is both trippy and frightening, especially if you have ever been inside psychosis. I know at times it can seem like the greatest escape. “My Journey” will make you repeat to yourself its repetitive chorus, so be warned. Everyone should have an admirer like J. Cloven in “August.” And lastly, Jeffrey V. Perry, a senior employee of our parent organization, Baltic Street AEH, asserts that the peer movement in mental health has come a long way. Many people working in the mental health field are “Angels Now at War,” fighting for the rights of their peers who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness.
Wonderland And The Asylum
By Nigel
I want to visit Wonderland again
I want to see The Mad Hatter
And say hello to the March Hare
I want to watch the Cheshire Cat disappear
But I am locked away in the Asylum
They say all these things are part of my illness
The imaginings of a disturbed mind
They give me pills to calm me
But I want to visit Wonderland again
The doctors think I am mad
They think I will always remain in the Asylum
I want to be free again
And play games with Tweedledum and Tweedledee
I even miss the screams of the Red Queen
Wonderland was a beautiful place
I know things were a little strange
But I felt happy and alive
Will you help me escape from the Asylum?
I have no friends here
My life is passing me by
Perhaps if I sleep awhile
Maybe I will find a way back to Wonderland
In my dreams I may find some peace
Please don't wake me up
I want to sleep forever and dream of Wonderland
My Journey
By Bonnieblue
My journey has been fierce
At times, it has been a battle field
I have cried and my screams piercing
Running, running, to where
Anywhere, but here
Fighting to grow, to live, to know
Being ill, treated poorly, why
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Having a child to love to grow
Fighting for child to live, to play, to know
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Living a lie, dying slow, hurting so
Working hard, loving job, lonely though
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Losing loved ones who are dear
Heart is broken can't repair
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Having two dogs love unconditionally
Wet kisses constantly
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here
Too much clutter in my mind
Not enough space left behind
Running, running, to where
Anywhere but here........
August
By J. Cloven
it has been so long
your voice so deep
no longer at your mother's breast
i must confess
that i always wanted to see you
grow into the young man
you have become.
Memory serves me
we used to stroll you on the streets
of sun-stained Chula Vista
you were the best man
at my wedding
god bless you and your splendor
and the grace that he has brought us back together.
your name is symbolic
of a love once shared
the sun blazes on in August
August is majestic
August is grandeur
Angels Now at War
By Jeffrey V. Perry
We believe that people can help people!
One can't be trained to be compassionate!
Experiences are valuable!
First, we must recognize other people as people
This is different than those who are asked
To do just their job or do a task;
Those who were taught to don a completed skill,
We too know experiences earned are real.
We will say that we can, because we have.
And there is no theory on our behalf.
We are those who have been suppressed.
We overcame a system with success
The system did not ask for us to come.
It has been common sense we have spun from.
Systems cannot be asked to change themselves.
From out of systems we come back to help.
If you didn't know, there is a peer movement
In mental health growing that we represent.
A Peer-run Agency, started on Baltic Street,
Where, experience-based services compete.
We offer many, who are underserved,
To share their voices so they will be heard.
Because, we use a peer to peer experience-based,
We know our lives are far too great to waste.
Now Baltic Street A.E.H., Inc. employs
Through many programs, hundreds, it deploys.
With hospitals and community, it does give
Self-help, recovery, jobs, and a place to live
Baltic Street has been here almost twenty years.
It helped in the movement, peers helping peers.
Now that Mental Health Agencies are on board,
I believe the peer concept struck a chord.
Witness this day where peers have paved a way.
Now government listens to what peers say.
It has been amazing to see this swing,
One day all the angels in chorus will sing.
Even for Those Who Suffer From Schizophrenia, Life is Precious
Even
for Those Who Suffer From Schizophrenia, Life is Precious
By
Rebecca Chamaa
I
recently read an article titled “Mental illness haunts countless
Americans” from the July 14, 2015
Camas-Washougal
Post-Record,
a
state of Washington periodical, where the author said that
schizophrenia was “a fate often worse than death.” It turns out
the author’s son has schizophrenia. I was so offended by that one
statement that commenting on it seemed senseless, but if that author
really believes that, and other people really believe that, then I
need to step up and write my truth.
Schizophrenia
is hard. I win some of my battles with it and I lose some of my
battles with it, but I keep on fighting. I want to keep on fighting.
I want to keep on challenging myself to do the best I can with a
severe mental illness. I have attempted suicide twice and twice my
life was saved by complete strangers. I have no words for what those
strangers did. The words grateful and thankful will never be enough.
I
am happy to be alive. Yes, paranoia, psychosis, social anxiety and
panic attacks are difficult to live with, but have you ever seen a
sunset over the Pacific, or fallen asleep on your loved one’s
chest, or had your spouse kiss you goodbye in the morning as you can
smell the coffee they made for you still brewing?
I
could write for days about the things in my life which are worth
seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching or experiencing. The
scent of jasmine can transport me back to Cairo, Egypt and the time I
spent there in school before I knew anything about schizophrenia.
It
is true that being psychotic is one of the scariest things that has
ever happened to me. It can only be described as living your most
terrifying nightmares, and it has happened to me repeatedly, and it
may happen again at any time. Even knowing that, I wouldn’t give up
a minute of the joy, love, discovery, creativity, and life that is
possible to take part in when symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia take
a rest.
I
have symptoms of my illness everyday, and some days are more than a
little difficult, but hearing people say that they think living with
schizophrenia is worse than death means that they believe there is no
value to my life.
Tell
my husband there is no value to my life. Tell my family there is no
value to my life. Tell my friends and nieces and nephews there is no
value to my life.
Just
because the author of that article doesn’t want to walk the road I
walk, doesn’t mean I don’t want to walk it. I do want to walk it.
I want to walk it with everything inside of me. I want to walk it
into old age. I want to walk it holding the hand of the man I love. I
want to walk it with a passion for all life has to offer.
I
have paranoid schizophrenia and I want to be alive as long as
possible and experience that first sip of coffee along with the
rising sun as many mornings as I am able. If you can’t understand
that, then you don’t understand people who have the courage to take
the good with the bad and keep moving in the direction of life. Life
is worth living even with a severe mental illness. Trust me, I have
one.
Pullout:
“...hearing people say that they think living with schizophrenia is
worse than death means that they believe there is no value to my
life.”
Coming Off Psychiatric Medications
Coming Off Psychiatric Medications
By Sharon Spieler
Some People in this Country Are Doing It
On January 25, 2015 Community Links sponsored a viewing of the documentary “Coming off Psych Drugs” produced and directed by Daniel Mackner, LCSW. In this film, 23 people came together for a training on how to get off psychiatric medication sensibly, gradually, and with hope and support. The people attending this training consisted of psychiatric survivors, family members, consumers, a social worker, and a therapist. Basically they were people who had already come off their psych meds, those in the process of coming off their psych meds and those thinking about coming off their psych meds as well as two professionals who believed it is possible to treat people with a psychiatric diagnosis with therapy rather than with medication.
The participants in the training actually felt they were coming to a “meeting of the minds” summit. They came for support, education, and comradery. They found what they were seeking.
So how does one actually come off psych meds? The first thing you have to do is find a psychiatrist or medical doctor willing to help safely wean you off the medication. The participants agreed that because of the medical establishment's ingrained belief that mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance best treated with medication, it was practically impossible to find a clinician willing to do this. One girl had already found a clinician who helped her wean off her meds. When professional assistance fails, you can obtain a copy of the publication titled “Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs” by Will Hall and published by the Icarus Project (available online). One aspect of the training dealt with this publication. The key emphasis was on coming off the meds gradually.
So what happens when you come off your meds? People cope with “alternative wellness practices” such as meditation, healthy diet, getting enough sleep, pets, nature, peer support, journaling, exercise, meaningful work, aromatherapy, hot baths, walking, fishing, creative writing, cooking, going to museums, hobbies, swimming, star and moon gazing, acupuncture, etc.
The film's producer/director Daniel Mackner, LCSW, an invited guest, said his motive for making the film was to educate the public about alternative ways of treating mental illness. He revealed that many of those in the medical establishment believed he was being irresponsible and he received occasional threats.
Many of the participants expressed skepticism about getting off their psych meds and for good reason. One woman pointed out that the entire mental health system in our country is built on the premise that mental illness is a chemical imbalance where medication is the only way to correct it and powerful drug companies profit from that belief.
A male participant raised the issue that if you try to get off your meds you could lose your benefits, to which Mr. Mackner replied that the trick is not to tell anyone that you are tapering off your meds. Someone said that for consumers who were not medication-compliant, psychiatrists prescribed injections instead. Mr. Mackner suggested that they should show their psychiatrist that they are trustworthy and start taking pills again. Once they are on pills, they can taper off without mentioning it to the doctor.
I had three bouts with major depression: once in the 1970s, once in the 1980s, and once in the 1990s. I would have suffered less had the doctor kept me on antidepressants. There is a danger in coming off of medication. Illness can reoccur. I do not think I would risk being off of medication again.
One person, a forensic peer-specialist, did not believe that those in charge of the prison system would approve of him telling prisoners that they can come off their psychiatric meds. Mr. Mackner said that the Los Angeles prison system is the biggest mental hospital in the country and that many people receive psych meds for the first time in prison.
Participants wanted to know what supports were out there once you got off your meds. We were merely referred to YouTube and Facebook. Lastly, someone wanted to know of anyone who had successfully weaned off their meds publicly. Mr. Mackner said that most people do not share publicly if they are off psych meds; they simply go on with their lives.
Pullout: “...someone wanted to know of anyone who had successfully weaned off their meds publicly. Mr. Mackner said that most people do not share publicly if they are off psych meds; they simply go on with their lives.”
By Sharon Spieler
Some People in this Country Are Doing It
On January 25, 2015 Community Links sponsored a viewing of the documentary “Coming off Psych Drugs” produced and directed by Daniel Mackner, LCSW. In this film, 23 people came together for a training on how to get off psychiatric medication sensibly, gradually, and with hope and support. The people attending this training consisted of psychiatric survivors, family members, consumers, a social worker, and a therapist. Basically they were people who had already come off their psych meds, those in the process of coming off their psych meds and those thinking about coming off their psych meds as well as two professionals who believed it is possible to treat people with a psychiatric diagnosis with therapy rather than with medication.
The participants in the training actually felt they were coming to a “meeting of the minds” summit. They came for support, education, and comradery. They found what they were seeking.
So how does one actually come off psych meds? The first thing you have to do is find a psychiatrist or medical doctor willing to help safely wean you off the medication. The participants agreed that because of the medical establishment's ingrained belief that mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance best treated with medication, it was practically impossible to find a clinician willing to do this. One girl had already found a clinician who helped her wean off her meds. When professional assistance fails, you can obtain a copy of the publication titled “Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs” by Will Hall and published by the Icarus Project (available online). One aspect of the training dealt with this publication. The key emphasis was on coming off the meds gradually.
So what happens when you come off your meds? People cope with “alternative wellness practices” such as meditation, healthy diet, getting enough sleep, pets, nature, peer support, journaling, exercise, meaningful work, aromatherapy, hot baths, walking, fishing, creative writing, cooking, going to museums, hobbies, swimming, star and moon gazing, acupuncture, etc.
The film's producer/director Daniel Mackner, LCSW, an invited guest, said his motive for making the film was to educate the public about alternative ways of treating mental illness. He revealed that many of those in the medical establishment believed he was being irresponsible and he received occasional threats.
Many of the participants expressed skepticism about getting off their psych meds and for good reason. One woman pointed out that the entire mental health system in our country is built on the premise that mental illness is a chemical imbalance where medication is the only way to correct it and powerful drug companies profit from that belief.
A male participant raised the issue that if you try to get off your meds you could lose your benefits, to which Mr. Mackner replied that the trick is not to tell anyone that you are tapering off your meds. Someone said that for consumers who were not medication-compliant, psychiatrists prescribed injections instead. Mr. Mackner suggested that they should show their psychiatrist that they are trustworthy and start taking pills again. Once they are on pills, they can taper off without mentioning it to the doctor.
I had three bouts with major depression: once in the 1970s, once in the 1980s, and once in the 1990s. I would have suffered less had the doctor kept me on antidepressants. There is a danger in coming off of medication. Illness can reoccur. I do not think I would risk being off of medication again.
One person, a forensic peer-specialist, did not believe that those in charge of the prison system would approve of him telling prisoners that they can come off their psychiatric meds. Mr. Mackner said that the Los Angeles prison system is the biggest mental hospital in the country and that many people receive psych meds for the first time in prison.
Participants wanted to know what supports were out there once you got off your meds. We were merely referred to YouTube and Facebook. Lastly, someone wanted to know of anyone who had successfully weaned off their meds publicly. Mr. Mackner said that most people do not share publicly if they are off psych meds; they simply go on with their lives.
Pullout: “...someone wanted to know of anyone who had successfully weaned off their meds publicly. Mr. Mackner said that most people do not share publicly if they are off psych meds; they simply go on with their lives.”
Op-Ed: Olmstead and Community Re-Integration
Op-Ed:
Olmstead and Community Re-Integration
By
Jeffrey V. Perry, CPRP
The
Importance of Home and Community
In
2009, the Civil Rights Division launched an aggressive effort to
enforce the Supreme Court's decision in Olmstead v. L.C., a ruling
that requires states to eliminate unnecessary segregation of persons
with disabilities and to ensure that persons with disabilities
receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their
needs. President Obama issued a proclamation launching the "Year
of Community Living," and has directed the Administration to
redouble enforcement efforts. The Division has responded by working
with state and local government officials, disability rights groups
and attorneys around the country, along with representatives of the
Department of Health and Human Services, to fashion an effective
nationwide program to enforce the integration mandate of the
Department's regulation implementing title II of the ADA (Americans
with Disabilities Act).
Just
how beneficial is it for people with disabilities to return to the
community in which they may have lived whether growing up, working
nearby, or visiting relatives? What is the intrinsic social value? We
have often heard the phrase, “You cannot go back home.” We live
in a society in which individuals may return to familiar, or move
into unfamiliar communities, seeking a place to call home. Despite
the real estate crunch with its fluctuating rents, anyone evaluating
a place to live needs to know something about the character of that
particular neighborhood.
Reintegrating
people with disabilities back into familiar areas is at least as
important as our value of economic development or redevelopment in
many cases. It is our personal connection to a place that influences
our social-makeup, bearing on our behavioral and overall well-being.
Where
one grew up is where they began, the place in consciousness we
commonly call “home.” Home can be a nurturing and familiar place,
as well as a traumatizing one. Somehow, still, we cling to our
adverse experiences as if they were golden. Oftentimes, trauma is
difficult to recognize, because we excuse those episodes since they
represent our only valuation of “home.” But what are some of the
values of returning to a familiar or biographic area? We might
encounter friends, people, and places we have known before. We may
rekindle old friendships and bond with former schoolmates. We will
recall places that used to stand that might have fallen into
disrepair or been replaced. And we will remember those who lived
there and have passed on.
We
share history with people, experiences, places and moments in time.
No matter how traumatic or negative those memories, they mold our
identity. It is this identity that drives us as human beings. Even
our worst experiences, because they are familiar, we internalize as
“home.” Returning to a familiar neighborhood and community may in
many cases offer us a sense of safety and security, if only as a
psychological effect. If you have ever been in a foreign country and
someone comes up to you who speaks English, you almost feel that you
have met your long lost brother. Psychologically speaking, we humans
identify with what is familiar in our lives. Recalling these
experiences, over time, and with therapeutic intervention, may lead
us to healing, growth, progress and acceptance.
On
the contrary, we may have outgrown our past, and what no longer
serves us. Perhaps, we have grown unattached to our old neighborhood.
Our memories, and past traumatic experiences are intimate, personal
and familiar, and yet we may be naturally repelled from returning to
a place. We can change our future by understanding that we do not
need to return, unless for a moment of peacemaking. We can speak out
to someone who will listen, reach out to our support system. Personal
healing begins with understanding our past and facing our fears. It
is equally important to have a good working support system that meets
our medical, psychological and residential needs.
Community
re-integration is always a new beginning that can best be successful
when done on terms that respect a person from where they are, and
meet the challenges they are open to, in order to thrive and create.
Home is the place we deserve to feel safe, secure, and express
ourselves freely. And, you don’t always have to “go back home”
to start your life anew.
Note:
Look for books by searching “Jeffrey V Perry” at www.lulu.com and
at online bookstores, like Amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.
Pullout:
“Community re-integration is always a new beginning that can best
be successful when done on terms that respect a person from where
they are, and meet the challenges they are open to, in order to
thrive and create.”
The Campaign for New York/New York Housing
The Campaign for New York/New York Housing
By Nora MClaughlin and Carla Rabinowitz, Community Access, Inc.
Hundreds March for Housing for New York's Most Vulnerable
Tourists and businessmen alike could not help but tune their ears to choruses of: “Governor Cuomo hear our cries! Supportive housing saves lives!” and “What do we need?” “Housing!” “When do we need it?” “Now!”
At 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2015, over 300 individuals gathered to march outside Governor Cuomo’s Midtown office to demand 35,000 more units of supportive housing be built throughout the state of New York over the next ten years.
The Campaign for New York/New York Housing is the fourth of its kind and aims to provide permanent housing combined with support services for mental health recipients, people who are homeless and vulnerable populations of New York (e.g. domestic violence survivors, those with HIV/AIDS and at-risk youth).
Passionate members of the community attended the rally, adorned with appropriately-decorated t-shirts and posters, to peacefully motivate change throughout New York.
Along with saving the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, the implementation of the Campaign for New York/New York’s platform would also enhance property values and save tax dollars. Based on evidence from similar initiatives in the past, it is clear that real estate values increase for properties surrounding supportive housing developments. Additionally, for each new unit of supportive housing, $10,100 in taxpayer dollars is saved yearly. “Supportive housing solves homelessness, improves neighborhoods, and saves tax dollars.”
With such documented success, supportive housing seems like a clear replacement for more traditional and expensive methods of institutionalization and/or imprisonment. However, Governor Cuomo’s proposal addressing this issue calls only for 5,000 additional units of supportive housing, in comparison to the 35,000 units the campaign demands. The governor’s proposal is not nearly sufficient in a state where currently only one in every five eligible applicants can be awarded supportive housing, and where homelessness is only on the rise.
The campaign has support from a multitude of high-profile organizations. This year’s organizer, Patrick Markee of the Coalition for the Homeless, attracted representatives from his own company to attend the event, as well as individuals from Community Access, VOCAL-NY, Housing Works, and more.
Hundreds of residents of the local homeless shelters and city supportive housing units stood with the Campaign for New York/New York Housing in an effort to improve quality of life for their own communities. There is nobody more qualified to demand change than those experiencing its absence firsthand.
At around 11:30 the rally concluded with a march across the street to a public piece of sidewalk. Participants gathered and promised to continue to fight for the passage of the Campaign for New York/New York’s platform for supportive housing. As the crowd dispersed, a sense of hope lingered.
By Nora MClaughlin and Carla Rabinowitz, Community Access, Inc.
Hundreds March for Housing for New York's Most Vulnerable
Tourists and businessmen alike could not help but tune their ears to choruses of: “Governor Cuomo hear our cries! Supportive housing saves lives!” and “What do we need?” “Housing!” “When do we need it?” “Now!”
At 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2015, over 300 individuals gathered to march outside Governor Cuomo’s Midtown office to demand 35,000 more units of supportive housing be built throughout the state of New York over the next ten years.
The Campaign for New York/New York Housing is the fourth of its kind and aims to provide permanent housing combined with support services for mental health recipients, people who are homeless and vulnerable populations of New York (e.g. domestic violence survivors, those with HIV/AIDS and at-risk youth).
Passionate members of the community attended the rally, adorned with appropriately-decorated t-shirts and posters, to peacefully motivate change throughout New York.
Along with saving the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, the implementation of the Campaign for New York/New York’s platform would also enhance property values and save tax dollars. Based on evidence from similar initiatives in the past, it is clear that real estate values increase for properties surrounding supportive housing developments. Additionally, for each new unit of supportive housing, $10,100 in taxpayer dollars is saved yearly. “Supportive housing solves homelessness, improves neighborhoods, and saves tax dollars.”
With such documented success, supportive housing seems like a clear replacement for more traditional and expensive methods of institutionalization and/or imprisonment. However, Governor Cuomo’s proposal addressing this issue calls only for 5,000 additional units of supportive housing, in comparison to the 35,000 units the campaign demands. The governor’s proposal is not nearly sufficient in a state where currently only one in every five eligible applicants can be awarded supportive housing, and where homelessness is only on the rise.
The campaign has support from a multitude of high-profile organizations. This year’s organizer, Patrick Markee of the Coalition for the Homeless, attracted representatives from his own company to attend the event, as well as individuals from Community Access, VOCAL-NY, Housing Works, and more.
Hundreds of residents of the local homeless shelters and city supportive housing units stood with the Campaign for New York/New York Housing in an effort to improve quality of life for their own communities. There is nobody more qualified to demand change than those experiencing its absence firsthand.
At around 11:30 the rally concluded with a march across the street to a public piece of sidewalk. Participants gathered and promised to continue to fight for the passage of the Campaign for New York/New York’s platform for supportive housing. As the crowd dispersed, a sense of hope lingered.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)