State budget excludes $3 million for homes for mentally ill

Officials at the Ohio Department of Mental Health have recently learned that the state budget that passed six weeks ago does not include language that would enable group homes for the mentally ill to access $3 million in funds for home maintainance and repairs (Source: “Latest cut could close homes for mentally ill,” Columbus Dispatch, Aug. 30, 2009).

In the previous two budgets, the money was transferred from the Department of Development Housing Trust Fund to the Department of Mental Health to enable small community-based group homes to obtain $5,000 grants for air conditioning, winterization, plumbing and other repairs and improvements. Last year 317 grants were awarded. 

Mental health advocates worry that the loss of the funds may be the final straw for some group homes, which are already trying to cope with a 43 percent cut in aid enacted in the new budget.

"Without this money, these homes can't be maintained, and the quality suffers," said Terry Russell, executive director of the Ohio Adult Care Facilities Association. "The operators say, 'We can't do this anymore.' Here is a valuable resource that we're squeezing out."