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Thread: Board Moves Forward with Housing Project for the Mentally Ill

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    Board Moves Forward with Housing Project for the Mentally Ill

    The WS town board is moving the projects into West Seneca?? They want to put a housing project for the severely and persistently mentally ill, right in the middle of hundreds of homes on Burch, Wildwood, Chamberlain, Manhasset, Edson, Duerstein, Mt Vernon, Savona, etc... The project is an apartment complex for the severely and persistently mentally ill, as well as low income individuals making less than $28,000?? This project would be a huge burden on the West Seneca police and first responders, the sewer systems, and the neighborhood in general. All this, and not even on the tax rolls. Is this the best location for this type of housing project?

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    Quote Originally Posted by blue View Post
    The WS town board is moving the projects into West Seneca?? They want to put a housing project for the severely and persistently mentally ill, right in the middle of hundreds of homes on Burch, Wildwood, Chamberlain, Manhasset, Edson, Duerstein, Mt Vernon, Savona, etc... The project is an apartment complex for the severely and persistently mentally ill, as well as low income individuals making less than $28,000?? This project would be a huge burden on the West Seneca police and first responders, the sewer systems, and the neighborhood in general. All this, and not even on the tax rolls. Is this the best location for this type of housing project?
    Wow, you must be a racist! .........Just kidding.
    That is what ignorant fools will label you if you're against it. It's what they do. It is crazy. Where is this going to be?

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    Member Frank Broughton's Avatar
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    Got news for you, many mentally ill people are very mellow and mild mannered. Your fears are just that fears. I am sure there art just as many violent "normal" people living on the streets you described. Many a drunk too!
    The above is opinion & commentary, I am exercising my 1st Amendment rights as a US citizen. Posts are NOT made with any malicious intent.

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    Member Frank Broughton's Avatar
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    Facts About Mental Illness and Violence

    Fact 1: The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent.


    Here is what researchers say about the link between mental illness and violence:

    - "Although studies suggest a link between mental illnesses and violence, the contribution of people with mental illnesses to overall rates of violence is small, and further, the magnitude of the relationship is greatly exaggerated in the minds of the general population (Institute of Medicine, 2006)."

    - "…the vast majority of people who are violent do not suffer from mental illnesses (American Psychiatric Association, 1994)."

    - "The absolute risk of violence among the mentally ill as a group is very small. . . only a small proportion of the violence in our society can be attributed to persons who are mentally ill (Mulvey, 1994)."

    -"People with psychiatric disabilities are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crime (Appleby, et al., 2001). People with severe mental illnesses, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or psychosis, are 2 ½ times more likely to be attacked, raped or mugged than the general population (Hiday, et al.,1999)."

    Fact 2: The public is misinformed about the link between mental illness and violence.

    A longitudinal study of American’s attitudes on mental health between 1950 and 1996 found, “the proportion of Americans who describe mental illness in terms consistent with violent or dangerous behavior nearly doubled.” Also, the vast majority of Americans believe that persons with mental illnesses pose a threat for violence towards others and themselves (Pescosolido, et al., 1996, Pescosolido et al., 1999).

    Fact 3: Inaccurate beliefs about mental illness and violence lead to widespread stigma and discrimination:

    The discrimination and stigma associated with mental illnesses stem in part, from the link between mental illness and violence in the minds of the general public (DHHS, 1999, Corrigan, et al., 2002).

    The effects of stigma and discrimination are profound. The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health found that, “Stigma leads others to avoid living, socializing, or working with, renting to, or employing people with mental disorders - especially severe disorders, such as schizophrenia. It leads to low self-esteem, isolation, and hopelessness. It deters the public from seeking and wanting to pay for care. Responding to stigma, people with mental health problems internalize public attitudes and become so embarrassed or ashamed that they often conceal symptoms and fail to seek treatment (New Freedom Commission, 2003).”

    Fact 4: The link between mental illness and violence is promoted by the entertainment and news media.

    "Characters in prime time television portrayed as having a mental illness are depicted as the most dangerous of all demographic groups: 60 percent were shown to be involved in crime or violence" (Mental Health American, 1999).

    "Most news accounts portray people with mental illness as dangerous" (Wahl, 1995).

    "The vast majority of news stories on mental illness either focus on other negative characteristics related to people with the disorder (e.g., unpredictability and unsociability) or on medical treatments. Notably absent are positive stories that highlight recovery of many persons with even the most serious of mental illnesses" (Wahl, et al., 2002).

    Citations
    American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Fact Sheet: Violence and Mental Illness. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Appleby, L., Mortensen, P. B., Dunn, G., & Hiroeh, U. (2001). Death by homicide, suicide, and other unnatural causes in people with mental illness: a population-based study. The Lancet, 358, 2110-2112.

    Corrigan, P.W., Rowan, D., Green, A., et al. (2002) .Challenging two mental illness stigmas: Personal responsibility and dangerousness. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 28, 293-309.

    DHHS. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, 1999. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/librar...ealth/toc.html

    Hiday, V. A. (2006). Putting Community Risk in Perspective: a Look at Correlations, Causes and Controls. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 29, 316-331.
    Institute of Medicine, Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions. Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, 2006.

    Mental Health America. American Opinions on Mental Health Issues. Alexandria: NMHA, 1999.

    Mulvey, E. P. (1994). Assessing the evidence of a link between mental illness and violence. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 45, 663-668.

    Pescosolido, B.A., Martin, J.K., Link, B.G., et al. Americans’ Views of Mental Health and Illness at Century’s End: Continuity and Change. Public Report on the MacArthur Mental health Module, 1996General Social Survey. Bloomington: Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research and
    Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 2000. Available: http://www.
    indiana.edu/~icmhsr/amerview1.pdf

    Pescosolido, B.A., Monahan, J. Link, B.G. Stueve, A., & Kikuzawa, S. (1999). The public’s view of the competence, dangerousness, and need for legal coercion of persons with mental health problems. American Journal of Public Health, 89, 1339-1345.

    New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America. Final Report. DHHS Pub. No. SMA-03-3832. Rockville, MD: 2003.

    Wahl, O. (1995). Media Madness: Public Images of Mental Illness. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

    Wahl, O.F., et al. (2002). Newspaper coverage of mental illness: is it changing? Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills, 6, 9-31.
    The above is opinion & commentary, I am exercising my 1st Amendment rights as a US citizen. Posts are NOT made with any malicious intent.

  5. #5
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    We have a living assisted home on our street.

    no crime.

    What they should look at is running cost by placing the building in WS versus lets say closers to where doctor visits and so forth occur.

    Just as a loose example.

    Lets say there are 30 residents that hit doctors of some from a couple times a month. If those services were located in the heart of Buffalo wouldn't it be wiser to have people live closer to where they need to go?

    A 1 mile trip is better than a 5 mile trip.

    If the services they go to are already in WS there you go. If not they should think about where this is built.

    Don't worry about the developer who will make money off the project. They are not your concern.

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    Member nogods's Avatar
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    you have to be crazy to let crazy people move into your neighborhood.

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    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Not at all. I'm surprised how intolerant you are nogods

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    Member OneEmerald's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blue View Post
    The WS town board is moving the projects into West Seneca?? They want to put a housing project for the severely and persistently mentally ill, right in the middle of hundreds of homes on Burch, Wildwood, Chamberlain, Manhasset, Edson, Duerstein, Mt Vernon, Savona, etc... The project is an apartment complex for the severely and persistently mentally ill, as well as low income individuals making less than $28,000?? This project would be a huge burden on the West Seneca police and first responders, the sewer systems, and the neighborhood in general. All this, and not even on the tax rolls. Is this the best location for this type of housing project?
    I know that area. Are they planning it where the Hills store used to be?
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    Member OneEmerald's Avatar
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    I need to start going to the West Seneca town board meetings too but I think they are the same nights as Cheektowaga.
    Adopt an English Springer Spaniel.
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    doesnt matter if you attend or not, the town boards veiw their residents as cash cows, like little piggy banks just waiting to be emptied...

    your opinion on matters means nothing. you could get 100 people to speak out against a project, and if the developer wants it done, its done. doesnt matter if you were there before the developer...

    another reason to move out to the country.
    Willful ignorance is the downfall of every major empire in history.

    "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." - Mao, 1938

  11. #11
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Quote Originally Posted by FMD View Post
    doesnt matter if you attend or not, the town boards veiw their residents as cash cows, like little piggy banks just waiting to be emptied...

    your opinion on matters means nothing. you could get 100 people to speak out against a project, and if the developer wants it done, its done. doesnt matter if you were there before the developer...

    another reason to move out to the country.

    Don't you think it would be more fun to just replace each candidate from the political party that has controlled Erie County for the last 25+ years? It is for the kids you know.

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    I just read an article in the Sun about this project going to the planning board in March. I guess the WS board has made their decision. I guess the people of West Seneca do not have a say in the matter. There is no chance to voice your opinion or ask questions about the project because the west Seneca politicians (specifically Gene Hart and Mickey Kearns) think it is a good project and that is all that matters (not the opinions of the residents). Personally, I do not think that we need a low income housing project in our backyard. The income limit is now down to $27000 in this article. Is there any limit on how little they can earn? They mentioned that they will now allow pedophiles or people with drug addictions to rent there. This must be an issue that they are normally dealing with if they specifically mentioned them in the article. The mentally ill individuals may receive care and attention, but they will be living independently in an apartment. There will be case workers on hand, but they will come and go as they please and be responsible for themselves. The apartment complex will not take any responsibility for the actions of their tenants. The definition of mental illness is "a mental or behavioral pattern or anomaly that causes either suffering or an impaired ability to function in ordinary life". I feel for Mr Hart and his family for dealing with this disorder, but I am sure that the "proper care and attention" that he is referring to in the article did not come from a low income apartment complex. And if this project was in HIS backyard, he would have a different opinion. Also, if the West Seneca town board want to force this housing project on us, why would they not charge them property taxes and lower everyone else's? They can not sit there and tell us that there will not be an enormous burden on the taxpayers with this housing project paying NO TAXES. Who is going to pay for any additional costs to the town? Maybe Gene Hart and Mickey Kearns will pick up the bill? No, it will be every taxpayer of West Seneca equally.

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    I suggest that anyone who has an opinion about this low income housing project, contact the West Seneca town board, Supervisor Sheila Meegan, Councilman Gene Hart, and Councilman William Hanley, at the West Seneca town hall, as well as Mickey Kearns, the NYS assemblyman, who has his office in the Southgate Plaza, and tell them your opinion. They should not be able to backdoor a low income housing project into our backyard without any input from the public. I urge you to inform your friends and neighbors who WILL BE impacted by this LOW INCOME HOUSING PROJECT about what the West Seneca Town Board is attempting with NO INPUT from the community. Maybe I am wrong, maybe the community would welcome the projects into our community, or maybe the community doesn't want this low income housing in their backyard, either way, WE NEED A SAY in what SHELA MEEGAN, GENE HART,ad WILLIAM HANLEY, are doing that directly affects me and my neighbors and especially MY TAX DOLLARS.

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    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Ask the town board of Cheektowaga if crime is increased with low income subsidized apartment units...

    one example

    Garden Village apartments have switched over to Belmont (or housing assisted tenants). Ask if crime has increased or decreased there.

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    Frank, should I put you down as one of the ones who would like to pick up the bill too? I personally think I am already paying too much in taxes. And people making a maximum of $27000 per year, may be more inclined to commit crimes than others in that neighborhood. They may drink, but, for the most part, they are proud Americans who can make a living for themselves and their families without living in the projects.

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