| Schizophrenics in Calgary need more housing options in order to avoid ending up homeless and living indefinitely in shelters, according to the findings of a new research project sponsored by the Calgary Health Region.
People living with schizophrenia surveyed 30 of their peers about their experiences trying to find housing. They determined that schizophrenics face major barriers.
Michele Misurelli, who was one of the researchers, knows firsthand how hard it can be to find adequate housing when you’re mentally ill. She had to move 30 times between 1995 and 2005 and dealt with everything from mice to mould.
"I was trying to find anything on a limited income," she says. "It was very frustrating. I was extremely poor."
Misurelli was on Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and had to live on $850 a month with her daughter. AISH has since been increased to $1,000 a month and Misurelli now has a house thanks to Habitat for Humanity that she describes as a "godsend." However, she says she knows a lot of people with schizophrenia who are living at homeless shelters, living in their cars or couch surfing.
"It’s the norm, not the exception," says Misurelli. "The system has really failed us. We’re forced to have roommates, live in slum housing or live on the streets."
Laurie Arney, who was also a researcher for the project, currently lives in supportive housing for the mentally ill. The facility has specially designed programming and activities and support staff for residents to talk to but residents live in their own apartments and have a common room where they can socialize.
"I feel secure knowing that’s there," says Arney.
She says there needs to be much more similar housing available for people with schizophrenia so they can live independently but also get help when they need it.
Project researchers are calling for the city to create a new advocate who would mediate disputes between mentally ill residents and landlords, more supports to help people with schizophrenia live independently and more education for family members about what housing options are out there. There also needs to be more subsidized housing that could be created through more tax incentives for developers or requirements for developers to set aside a certain percentage of units for subsidized housing.
Barbara Schneider, professor in the faculty of communications and culture at the University of Calgary, who led the research project, says there should be more consultation with people living with schizophrenia about what kind of housing they require.
"They often have to accept services they don’t really want or that don’t suit them," she says.
The research team has also put together a documentary called Hear Our Voices where people living with schizophrenia share their experiences about struggling to find decent housing.
"It’s very powerful," says Schneider.
The documentary will be played at the University of Calgary at noon on December 8 in room PF114. |
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