accepting
There’s No Place Like Home Ilove this place,” said Beverly D, to her new landlord, Steve Ribet. It was 2003, and every time Steve had occasion to talk to Beverly, she would anxiously inquire about whether she could stay in her apartment. “I didn’t understand her fear,” says Steve today. Then he met Beverly’s caseworker, Lorie Godfrey, who explained that some landlords didn’t want to rent to Unity House clients, many of whom suffer from mental illness and/or addiction. Steve hadn’t noticed Beverly having any special needs, and his apartment had passed Unity House inspection without his even realizing it. “My business principles are grounded in my spiritual beliefs, and I would never rent a place that I wouldn’t have my family live in.” As Steve and his wife Marybeth began to invest in more properties, their partnership with Unity House expanded. Today, 15 clients live in one of five buildings owned by Steve and Marybeth. Steve cites one of his former renters, who now owns a home in Niskayuna, as an example of his high regard for the counseling and support Unity House provides their housing clients. The Office of Mental Health has strict requirements for the housing of the 62 clients served by Transitional Apartment Services (TAS). Caseworkers must make weekly safety checks, and four times a year a full assessment of code requirements is conducted. So Steve, and other area landlords work hard to create safe, clean apartments. In addition, they Housing Support Services Unity Houses offers housing to adults living with a mental illness, overcoming a chemical dependency, or HIV/AIDS. In <strong>2008</strong>, Unity House: • Aided 181 adults through our Community Residence group homes. • Extended housing and support services through Supported Housing and Community Housing Assistance Program to 174 adults. • Transported over 420 people to over 38,364 trips to day treatment programs, doctor and counseling appointments, employment and training opportunities and social events. demonstrate patience with clients whose mental illness may cause them to be high-demand tenants. “It takes a special landlord to work with Unity House,” says Lorie, “and we are blessed with 14 of them.” “A good environment is essential to mental health,” she adds. “I’ve seen clients sprout like flowers after moving into a beautiful apartment.” When asked, Steve acknowledges that being a landlord can be difficult. He has been called out of bed in the middle of the night for problems that were non-emergencies. But he understands that sometimes people living independently for the first time need coaching, and he tries to provide that service, even as he wields a wrench or a screwdriver. He also believes that for everyone, mental health can be enhanced by fresh paint, or new carpeting. Lorie couldn’t agree more with the belief that one’s environment affects one’s mental health. ANNUAL REPORT <strong>2008</strong> 7