Recovery From Schizophrenia: Psychiatry And Political Economy

280 DESEGREGATING SCHIZOPHRENIAA patient living in a small community setting, therefore, where he or she iscalled upon to contribute to the operation of the household, will be more valuedfor any special abilities and will develop greater self-esteem and practical skills.More than this, he or she will be better accepted and socially integrated. As in theThird World village, where there is no labor surplus, it is necessary to acceptthose who are available to do the job. Where there are more people than arestrictly required, the research of psychologist Roger Barker reveals, deviance andindividual differences are not tolerated nearly as well. 27 This is one reason whyboarding homes and nursing homes containing scores or hundreds of patientshave such a pernicious influence on the course of schizophrenia.COOPERATIVELY-OWNED HOUSINGIf mentally ill people were to become property owners instead of tenants, thiswould be a form of social and economic advancement. Housing cooperativesprovide a mechanism for poor people to own their accommodation and offer anumber of advantages besides. They not only provide long-term affordablehousing, they also create a better quality of life for residents, particularly thosewith special needs, by developing a strong feeling of community. They buildleadership skills among members of the cooperative through the financial,maintenance and managerial tasks required for the operation of the housing.Housing cooperatives can be hard to establish, however, as both mortgage lendersand potential residents may be put off by the cooperative governance structure. 28There are a number of reasons why cooperative housing is more affordable.Each member owns a share of the cooperative corporation and then leases his orher own housing unit from the corporation. Since members are “leasers,”therefore, they qualify for rent subsidies, including federal Section 8 certificates.Nevertheless, they retain ownership rights, including the ability to profit fromresale of the share. Since departing members could sell their shares at an escalatedcurrent market value, a mechanism is required to ensure permanent affordability;this is achieved through a “limited equity” formula. Under this arrangement, thecooperative buys back shares, when the owner departs, at a predetermined rate ofappreciation. Another financial advantage is that the ongoing cost of operating acooperative tends to be lower than that of rental apartments because of residentinvolvement in management and the absence of a profit line in the budget. 29The basic financing method for establishing a cooperative is a blanket mortgage,based on the value of the building, for which the cooperative corporation isliable. Members pay an initial membership price and a monthly assessment.Members can obtain cooperative share loans, backed by the individual’scooperative share, to allow them to meet the membership price. For example,poor families joining the Hillrise Mutual Housing Association in Lancaster,Pennsylvania, are required to pay a membership price of $1,500, but most pay$300 in cash and finance the rest through a share loan. Low-income housingcooperatives in the US may obtain subsidies through local government low-