Psychiatric patients ‘need housing priority’

Press, 2 May 1988, Page 8

Psychiatric patients ‘need housing priority’

Higher priority should be given to accommodating psychiatric patients settling back in to the community, says the Minister of Housing, Ms Clark.

Addressing a conference organised by the Wellington Health Community Health Services Group, she said, "Until now welfare or special tenancies for sheltered or half-way housing have been provided only if other State house applicants would not be unduly disadvantaged.

“That has tended to mean. that allocations have been made in areas of low demand for State housing, such as Hastings or Dunedin. “There is now a need for special tenancies to receive a higher priority for allocation,” said Ms Clark.

Another stumbling

block to former psychiatric patients finding State housing was that . the Housing Corporation regarded a group of adults as having “lesser need” than a family, whether the family was supported by one parent or two.

This was because the combined income of a group of adults, even if they were Social Welfare beneficiaries, would generally be more than that of a family requesting State housing. Eligibility criteria needed to be reviewed, she said. At the moment the Housing Corporation’s allocation policy worked on the basis of need according to income.

Ms Clark cited the extension of the “granny flat” scheme as another option. This entails former patients setting up relocatable units, available in a range of sizes,

on the properties of friends or relatives helping to care for them.

There was a need for Government and nonstatutory organisations working in the mental health area to put more effort into understanding’ each other, said Ms Clark. Dr Les Ding, superintendent of Sunnyside Hospital, endorsed Ms Clark’s comments. He said there should be a statutory organisation with the relocation of psychiatric outpatients as its brief.

The relocation of psychiatric patients learning to cope with life in the community should be a statutory priority. He agreed with Ms Clark’s idea on the review of eligibility criteria and also said that “the Housing Corporation needs tocollaborate with other government departments” on the issue.