June 2018

Trends for people with mental illness, and why a stable, supportive home matters

"Some government policies, put in place for very good reasons, have contributed to the affordable housing crisis," says Cogswell Hall Executive Director Diana Cyganovich. People with mental illness still bear the burden of one such policy. Large institutions that housed and treated them were supposed to be replaced with community-based mental health centers. "Started in the 1970’s, it was a great policy overall," Diana says, "but drastically underfunded community-based care resulted in an unintended consequence of more persons with mental illness becoming homeless."

Mental health/prison graphic by CCSAlso, as care for people with mental illness declines, more people are jailed or imprisoned, as seen in this graphic from the Cleveland-based Center for Community Solutions.

A supportive home is a key to stability for people with mental illness, especially those who have been truly homeless. Cogswell Hall does its bit to meet the demand: 46% of our residents come straight from homelessness, and, among those, 75% have a mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression, or a bipolar, anxiety or schizoaffective disorder. Add substance abuse disorders and that figure climbs to 90%.

"People who have been homeless a long time can be reluctant to accept life off the street," says Cogswell Program Manager Diane Kragt. "Health crises are a common reason for them to come into housing. One of our current residents lived in a bus shelter for 12 years, made some unfortunate choices and was hospitalized before coming here. After two months, she has begun joining in community activities, and now, with warm weather, she can often be seen enjoying the sunshine and spring breeze on what she considers 'her' side porch."

Programs like Cogswell's are essential, and gifts from individuals, companies, foundations and civic groups make a huge difference. "But a crisis this big cannot be solved by private philanthropy alone," Diana says. "Affordable housing and community mental health work need to be priorities when policy and funding decisions are made at all levels of government."

Once a homeless teen, he's walking to Washington to change things

Derek Pratt, June 19, 2018Derek Pratt (left) of Brunswick, Ohio, husband of Cogswell Hall Property Manager Paula Pratt, will walk from Cleveland to the nation's capital in July to call attention to homelessness and housing instability. He'll visit shelters in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland on his way to a National Alliance to End Homelessness conference in Washington, D.C. "Having experienced homelessness as a youth, which led to me dropping out of school at the age of 15, I am making this walk for the children across our country who are facing homelessness," Derek writes at his "Walking4Change" website.

We're grateful to you, Derek, and everyone who focuses attention on the need for public policies to answer critical shortages of affordable housing. Cogswell Hall has 19 rooms specifically for single adults coming directly from homelessness, as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines it. "We have housed more than 40 homeless people in the last 12 years," says Executive Director Diana Cyganovich. 

Photo by Paula Pratt

Citizens come to Cogswell for Evicted book discussion

"Evicted" book discussion, 5/24/18Twenty-six neighbors and interested citizens came to Cogswell Hall May 24 to discuss eviction and housing insecurity. Pictured here is Executive Director Diana Cyganovich, giving words of welcome in the Community Room. Based on the renowned Matthew Desmond book Evicted, the discussion was moderated by Amy E. Dawson of the Cleveland Public Library system and co-sponsored by Cogswell and the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization. Conversation ranged from the overall need for affordable housing in Greater Cleveland to specific landlord and tenant issues on the Near West Side.

Photo by Sakina Kapasi

Have you signed up for the anniversary picnic, Wednesday evening, June 27?

"Family picnic" clip artYou are invited to a Cogswell Hall potluck picnic Wednesday, June 27, at a local park. Bring your family! It's free! Hot dogs, fixin's and dessert will be provided. Come meet residents, volunteers, and members of the Board, committees and staff. It's one way of celebrating 140 years of housing and helping people in need. Please email Sakina Kapasi to sign up, tell us what dish you'll bring, and learn where the picnic will be.

Interior designers finish renovation of upstairs lounges

Renovated 3rd-floor lounge, May 2018The May Chronicle showed work underway on two upstairs floor lounges at Cogswell Hall. Here is the result! These pictures show the refreshed third-floor lounge. The one on the second floor got similar treatment.

Below are Jeff Krejci of the firm Interface and Bridget Hrdlicka of Bialosky Cleveland, who organized Cleveland-Akron-area members of the International Interior Design Association to carry out the renovation. They came in April to take measurements, then drew up designs and got donations of paint, carpet tiles, furniture, wall-mounted TV sets and artwork. They donated more of their time in three groups, May 10-12, to paint and lay carpet. (See more pictures here!) Residents are really enjoying the added comfort and beauty of these unique lounges. Thanks, IIDA!                                                                                            Photos by Sakina Kapasi

Jeff Krejci & Bridget Hrdlicka, renovated 3rd-floor lounge, May 2018

Keeping things fun, meaningful on a beautiful spring Friday

Activity calendar, June 15, 2018One thing about living at Cogswell Hall: there's often plenty to do. Take Friday, June 15. If you were a resident here that day, you could shop at our in-house store, CogsMart, walk the block with an exercise group, or relax and chat over a "creative expressions" art project. You could speak your mind and listen to others at a rap session. Maybe sweetest of all, you could pile into the van for a trip to Sweet Moses Soda Fountain and Treat Shop in the nearby Gordon Square Arts District on a sunny, late-spring afternoon (see photos below). Thanks to the Cogswell Supportive Services staff for keeping life active  -- and to you, Dear Reader, for your support, which makes activities like this possible for low-income adults who face many challenges. Thank you!                                                                                                   Photos by Hans Holznagel

Residents walking to Sweet Moses, June 15, 2018Visit to Sweet Moses, June 15, 2018Sundae & soda, Sweet Moses, June 15, 2018Trio through Sweet Moses window, June 15, 2018

The Cogswell Chronicle is published monthly by email, and once a year in print, by Cogswell Hall, 7200 Franklin Blvd., Suite 100, Cleveland OH 44102 USA. Editor: Hans Holznagel. Reporter: Sakina Kapasi. Comments? Questions? Email Hans at hholznagel@cogswellhall.org or phone him at 216-961-1568, ext 311.

 

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