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Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, chair of the Court's Advisory Committee on Mental Illness and the Courts, recently joined with state leaders to bring awareness to the positive impact permanent supportive housing has on individuals faced with homelessness. Permanent supportive housing helps people live more stable, productive lives, Justice Stratton says, and is among the essential services needed for the success of mental health courts and specialized dockets operated by courts throughout the state.
“Finding a home in the community for people in need is actually much more cost-effective than emergency housing or incarceration,” said Justice Stratton, who is a member of the board of directors for the national nonprofit organization, Corporation for Supportive Housing. “ We can either waste money keeping people homeless, or we can spend those dollars on long-term solutions that produce positive results. The statistics clearly show that the cost of housing a person with mental illness in prison or jail is far more than putting them into supportive housing where they can reclaim their lives.”
Justice Stratton recently visited Briggsdale Apartments in Columbus, a permanent supportive housing community resulting from the collaboration of the Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing, the Ohio Department of Development and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.
The Franklin County Municipal Mental Health Court reports that 37 percent of the participants in its court are homeless. According to the Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing, the number of homeless individuals in Ohio ranges from 49,000 to 79,000 annually. A study done by the council indicated that the cost of creating supportive housing is nearly the same as providing emergency housing in a shelter-like setting.
“Studies show that patients who remain in stable housing as opposed to being without housing, are less likely to fail at taking medication,” Justice Stratton said. “Providing permanent supportive housing and primary supportive services, such as mental health care, medical care, substance abuse management and recovery, and employment training can help people live more stable, productive lives.”
Justice Stratton was appointed to the Corporation for Supportive Housing, which strives for an end to homelessness and advocates for supportive housing, because of her understanding of the impact of homelessness on the operation of Ohio's mental health courts. Since its inception in 1991, the Corporation for Supportive Housing has committed nearly $119 million in loans and grants to support the creation of 17,318 units of supportive housing, with an additional 11,882 units currently in development.
Those benefiting most from supportive housing include people with chronic health conditions, such as mental illness, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse issues. Supportive housing also benefits people who have other substantial barriers to housing stability, such as domestic violence, trauma, history of out-of-home placement or persons who may be re-entering the community from prisons, jails and other systems of care without a place to live.
Governor Bob Taft created the Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing by Executive Order in 2004. Chaired by Lt. Governor Bruce Johnson, the council serves as the planning and policy development body regarding statewide strategies to address homelessness prevention and related housing issues. The council is made up of the director or designated representative from several state agencies and includes eight community and statewide organizations representing providers. A staff member from the Supreme Court serves on the policy team of the council to provide input from the judicial branch.
For a high-resolution, publication-quality photo of Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, click on the image above or visit: http://www.supremecourtofohio.gov/Communications_Office/Press_Releases/images/justices/stratton_highres.zip.
Contact: Andrea M. Strle, 614.387.9250 or Corey Schaal at 614.387.9431.