MARCH 19, 1993 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

AHC resources limited

in securing housing

Continued from Page 1

live with his parents, leaving John with the run of the house.

One night, as he was showering, John heard noises downstairs. The roommate's mother came to pick up her son's belongings; they had placed an ad to sell off the things in the house. Soon after, the landlord came, telling John there was to be no subletting on his property. It seemed John's new roommate had gone through both CMHA and welfare to pay for this house. These monies not being enough, he had then contacted the AIDS Housing Council, offering to sublet to a tenant in the HIV spectrum. This went against the stipulations of the lease. Finding this out, and realizing he had nowhere to go, John evacuated the premises. He lived there only one month.

Within a matter of days, the roommate was harassing John at work, claiming he still owed him back rent. John contacted AHC and informed them of his problems; the agency was able to offer only one other lead, near the West Side Market.

This story suggests the AIDS Housing Council is not always successful in its screening process to find safe affordable housing for those people in the spectrum who may need it most. Richard Priebe, retiring assistant administrator of the council, admits that his efforts bear less fruit than he would like.

AHC is having a declining success rate in its placement efforts, according to Priebe. He says that he has found it sometimes easier to instruct his clientele to downplay, or not mention at all, their homosexuality, HIV status or other "dysfunctions," such as alcohol and drug abuse, to prospective landlords and rental agents.

AHC's executive director, Louise Valentine, defends the agency's success, pointing to more than 100 successful placements in 1992. She concurs with Priebe that sometimes with initial contacts the "concern is protecting a person's privacy" so their HIV status or sexual orientation is not revealed. While this policy could "backfire" for some individuals later on, Valentine says it's a judgment call based on how to best place the client.

The executive director stressed that it is housing, mostly rentals in apartments and some multiple houses, and not roommates where the agency directs its efforts. In the last year she recalled very few roommate situations coming up. Both Valentine and Priebe pointed out that it is much more difficult to place roommates, as the story of John illustrates. The AHC offers the referral with "no guarantee" that it will work out because of personality conflicts and other unforeseen problems. The agency's goal is to place, not to matchmake.

When a client contacts the Council, there is an interview and application process, establishing everything from legal and medical insurance status to the state of their health and their ability to maintain their lives. Priebe claims one of his biggest problems is teaching his clients how to be self-sufficient in an effort to boost their present living situation. Valentine agrees, saying many people come to AHC as soon as they get their HIV diagnosis. The evaluation process tells them "there is no reason they can't do what other people do by using their own resources.

The evaluation process covers a number of issues and may reveal additional challenges for the client. Sometimes the client's appearance may be a factor, or sometimes there can be mental health issues to consider. The AHC frequently refers clients to area service agencies and has an ongoing relationship with the West Side Mental Health Center, the Neighborhood Counseling Service, the Red Cross, Health Issues Taskforce, Visiting Nurse Association, and

others. If a person is in desperate need of housing, he or she may be referred to homeless shelters, Valentine said, even though that is not the best environment and is only a temporary solution.

Kamana Place has a limited number of beds but also more structure, and is designed for immediate need so that, even if a bed were available, it may not be the right solution for everyone.

According to Valentine, the Community Based Program staff search out "affordable housing resources and cultivate landlords who are sensitive to our concerns." Priebe, who is the only case manager, admitted he doesn't always take the time to interview prospective landlords and roommates, citing lack of time, lack of possible places of residency, and an over-influx of prospective clients. His usual procedure used to include accompanying clients on their first visits to possible residences, but he says he stopped this practice. Both Valentine and Priebe state that frequently they have to look for potential housing by searching the want ads and "pounding the streets," driving around town looking for vacancy signs. Valentine stressed that they always determine if illegal substances are being used and then do not place any clients on the premises.

The AIDS Housing Council, located at 7901 Detroit Ave., is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Ohio Department of Health and Community Development, and other sources, including private donations. Currently, Valentine has been submitting grant applications to hire a volunteer coordinator who can monitor activity within the Community Based Program. Another grant application, if approved, would fund a transitional housing program to keep HIV spectrum people out of homeless shelters and off the streets.

Priebe has retired from his job as this story goes to press. His case load and comments suggesting burn-out raise the issue as to whether AHC is meeting the need for an ever-increasing number of HIV clients. Valentine states flatly that they are not overwhelmed and that each individual who comes is assessed and given a plan of action and that contact is maintained with AHC even after placement. Much of the case worker's time is in the evaluation process and in making recommendations, such as using the Visiting Nurses or Home Health Aide workers.

Priebe's major concerns include the fact that the Centers for Disease Control classify Cleveland as a second-wave city, and that their statistics are grossly under-estimated. In his work providing his clients with "supports to daily living," he feels that Cleveland's gay community has become "complacent" in its efforts to fight the spread of AIDS, and further augments the cries for more education of the masses.

Washington DC APRIL 25, 1993

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