| The present availability of housing facilities for the | | | | cases of homelessness as well as recurring cases of |
| mentally challenged people falls pitifully short of the | | | | unsocial behavior by people with developmental or |
| actual requirement in the nation. The number is far | | | | behavioral problems was mainly due to the lack of |
| lesser than what was projected a few decades ago, | | | | adequate infrastructure or existing facilities to |
| when the seeds of de-institutionalization were sown. | | | | accommodate them where they could be kept under |
| It propagated the concept of a more holistic, humane | | | | supervision. Section 8-11 of the Fair Housing Act |
| approach towards the mentally ill individuals of the | | | | states that mentally retarded individuals can avail |
| society; instead of segregating them totally from the | | | | public housing assistance. However, in 1992, the |
| society and forcing them into isolation, the new idea | | | | Congress limited that opportunity by designating a |
| was to bring them closer to society, educate them in | | | | particular percentage to the aged people only. Some |
| its ways and gradually re integrate them into the | | | | neighborhoods have even protested vehemently |
| mainstream of the population. That would enable | | | | against such MHMR institutions being constructed in |
| them to be sufficiently self reliant, without have to | | | | their vicinity, further hindering the process of |
| spending their lives as an extra burden on some | | | | expanding the infrastructure of MHMR housing |
| other person. This plan produced impressive results, | | | | facilities. |
| but then again, there remained hundreds and | | | | The permanent supportive housing model has |
| thousands who still could not access its benefits only | | | | prevented increase in cases of homelessness. State |
| due to the lack of both infrastructure, as well as | | | | and Central Health Systems have to be reconfigured |
| proper funding, which made all such initiatives | | | | to better address the problem of lack of affordable |
| expensive and costly. Most of the mentally ill, who | | | | housing for the mentally ill. Unless this particular |
| came from relatively poor families were unable to | | | | problem is solved, even the problem of homelessness |
| afford it. | | | | cannot be curbed. |
| One of the significant reasons behind the increasing | | | | |