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Drop-In Centersare in every borough of NYC and are a great place to go to meet other people, have a meal, get support, and access Housing, psychiatric, legal, health, recreational, educational, drug treatment, artistic and other services. Some of them, like Safe Horizon, provide transportation if it is hard for you to get there.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trangender, Queer or Questioning Shelters provide support for people who are dealing with issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. There are programs that can help you with real practical details like finding a place to stay, especially when you are in an emergency situation and need help.
Apartment Treatment Programs are transitional housing units for two to four people. They are scattered throughout a borough or sometimes in the same building. These programs prepare you to go on to more independent housing within 18-24 months. These apartments are designed for adults (over 18) with mental illness.
Developmental disabilities include mental retardation, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and other neurological conditions.
The Private Market
If you are looking for a place to live, it would be possible to get out there and find an apartment on your own. Finding a place to live in New York City is always difficult but not impossible. When residences are subsidized or funded by New York City or New York State, a certain number of units must be made available to people who don’t have much money. This is generally done by lottery. That is, your name gets entered into the lottery and the names that are pulled get the affordable apartments. Everybody has as good a chance to get selected as everyone else.
A second possibility is Public Housing. A family pays 30% of their income for an apartment. A single person can actually constitute a family but this is not common. The information you supply on your application determines your priority for getting an interview. Selections are made after the interview.
Another possibility is to look in the newspapers for people who are looking for roommates. This is a little risky of course. First, a roommate might be dangerous and you could get hurt. Second, you might not get along with the other roommates and that could be hard on all of you.
Government Health Plans:
Medicare is the largest health insurance program and is run by the Social Security Administration. It covers medical costs for people who have disabilities or who are over 65.
Medicaid is the second largest insurance company. It is a federal program, but each state is responsible for its administration. Medicaid provides assistance to Americans who cannot afford health care.
Public Health Insurance Programs: Family Health Plus is a program for adults, 19 to 64, who do not earn a lot of money but who, at the same time, do not qualify for Medicaid. This program provides comprehensive coverage (prevention, primary care, hospitalization, prescriptions). Some services require a minimal co-payment.
Child Health Plus is a public insurance program for residents of New York state under the age of 19 who do not qualify for Children’s Medicaid.
