PACOIMA : Mentally Ill Finding Purpose at Hillview

All things considered, the past six months have been good to Crenshaw Scott and Carlos Contreras.

In January, the two men, 37 and 39 respectively, moved from uncertain, unstable worlds into a new universe that revolves around Hillview Village, an apartment complex for 50 formerly homeless adults in Pacoima.

Once homeless and in and out of mental institutions, Scott and Contreras now live in apartments of their own. With the change of environment and increase in stability, they have found their lives have taken on more meaning, they say.

Scott lived in a board-and-care facility in Sun Valley before moving to the $5.6-million Hillview complex, which was developed with a combination of funds from the city of Los Angeles, private investors and state and federal tax credit and rental subsidy programs.

The change has been good, said Scott, a peer counselor at Hillview, where all of the tenants have been found to have mental illnesses.

Scott has recently taken up drafting plans and designing buildings, a field he studied in high school and college. He’s considering enrolling in trade classes to brush up on his skills in preparation for a job search.

“That’s my first attempt at drafting in more than six years,” he said, unrolling a sheaf of plans for an 11-unit villa.

Other residents, too, have responded positively to the independence and self-determination that is part of life at Hillview. Tenants have organized a grocery-purchasing and delivery club, sports activities, and will soon start their own Neighborhood Watch program and a communal garden.

Developed by the Hillview Mental Health Center Inc. and the Valley Housing Foundation to provide a comfortable living environment and easy access to support services, the apartment complex is among a few places in Los Angeles where the homeless and mentally ill can find permanent homes and receive counseling, medical and food assistance on-site.

Though shelters are relatively common, bona fide housing that includes access to such services is rare, say officials who work with the mentally disabled.

Apartments at Hillview range in size from 280 square feet for a single with a bathroom, to 550 square feet for a one-bedroom unit with its own kitchen. With the apartments carpeted and furnished, rents range between $266 and $351, depending on tenants’ income. Most tenants receive some government assistance or disability compensation.

Turnover has been low, though several tenants have been forced to leave because they failed mandatory drug tests, said Sande Weiss, Hillview’s director of community and public relations. About 25 people are on a waiting list to get into the building, which began accepting tenants in December, Weiss said.

Contreras lived with various relatives before hitting the streets in 1973. For 14 years, he had no address to claim as his own. Finally, he checked himself into a hospital.

“This is my first decent home,” Contreras said. “I’ve never really had friends before.”

Contreras runs an informal, periodic dinner club in his apartment, and lends videos to neighbors.

“We look out for each other,” Scott said, noting the example of a resident who suffered a seizure at a recent tenants’ meeting. The man was immediately aided by his neighbors.

“I’m getting along with people,” Contreras said, with a big smile, as he displayed the contents of his wardrobe and a well-stocked pantry in his tidy apartment.

“We’re all getting along pretty good,” he said.