PACOIMA : Mentally Disabled Move Into Housing
The scent of fresh paint lingered in the halls of the newly constructed Hillview Village housing complex for the homeless and mentally disabled as tenants moved their belongings into the new apartments Tuesday.
Carrying blankets, radios and keepsakes, 12 of the 50 approved applicants slated to live in the Pacoima complex signed their leases and began acclimating themselves to their new homes by attempts at decoration and a tour of the 2.4-acre facility.
The other residents are expected to move into the apartments at 12408 Van Nuys Blvd. by the second week of January.
The two-story, 50-unit complex was created by Hillview Mental Health Inc. and the Valley Housing Foundation to provide a comfortable, independent living environment for indigent adults with a history of mental instability.
Its 46 single rooms and four one-bedroom apartments range in rent from $266 to $351, depending on the tenant’s income. In no case is rent more than 30% of a tenant’s monthly earnings, which typically consist of part-time employment and general relief assistance from state and federal programs for the homeless and mentally ill.
In addition to the units, Hillview Village has shaded courtyards, recreational facilities, subterranean parking for 43 cars and a community kitchen that symbolizes the motivation behind the complex’s creation.
“Tenants will be able to cook their own meals in the kitchen or purchase meals cooked by staff,” said Sandy Weiss, director of community relations for Hillview. “We want to be able to prepare them for independent living, but with some service provided (as well). It’s a big step for some of these people to live independently.
“We want to give them a feeling of self-empowerment, where they are in charge of their own program. If treated with a certain amount of respect and independence, they can take care of themselves. But, if there is a problem, they know there is help nearby for them to utilize if they so choose.”
With a counselor stationed at the complex eight hours each day and a health center just 1 1/2 miles away, residents have the option to seek assistance if living outside the set schedules provided by other facilities becomes too much.
While she unpacked her collection of stuffed animals and situated her cosmetics on a counter in her new single apartment, Maria Perez, 23, observed that such assistance will not be limited to severe circumstances.
Having moved away from her mother and 10 siblings for the first time, Perez thought about what it would be like to live independently. “A lot of my friends will be living here, “ she said. “I’ll have a lot people to talk to, but I’m already a little lonesome.
“I’m gonna be homesick,” she added.
