Grant will help rental assistance program for mentally ill stay afloat

A program to provide rental assistance to individuals with chronic mental illness will continue, thanks to a recent grant.

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority have received a $100,333 state grant to fund the program.

The grant will allow the two organizations to provide rental assistance for between 15 and 20 individuals who qualify, said Lynn Amyx, residential services director for Bert Nash.

“Without this grant, we would have more chronically mentally ill adults living on the streets,” Amyx said.

The Lawrence organizations have received the grant funding from the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. since 1997. Bert Nash typically requests $300,000 in funding, but usually receives about $100,000, Amyx said.

The funds are specifically used to pay private landlords who house clients who qualify for the program. The program requires individuals to meet income guidelines and to have a serious and persistent mental illness.

For more information about applying for the program, call the Bert Nash Center at 843-9192.