Where they gonna live? Affordability and availability of housing for consumers of community based mental health services after reform.

To successfully meet the needs of persons disabled by mental illness, developmental disabilities or substance abuse in a re-organized, de-centralized, community-based setting, existing resources dedicated to affordable housing will need to be re-targeted and new resources from within the mental health funding stream will need to be re-directed to increasing both availability and affordability. The gap between the cost of basic housing and what is affordable to persons whose resources are limited by their disability is not currently being met. Mental health reorganization must address the affordability and availability of housing for persons that the system is intending to serve if the entire effort aimed at more effective, efficient and economic delivery of mental health services is to be successful.