2008 Annual Report - Albany, NY: Law Firm, Litigation, Commercial ...

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
2008, 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 2008 7