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Alameda Countywide Homeless and Special Needs Housing Plan 61 A number of concerns related to Board and Care homes have been identified in this process: · The number of Board and Care homes for people with mental illness has been steadily decreasing, due to the retirement of aging owners, and demand for the real estate the homes occupy. Most importantly, the state's reimbursement rates for serving people with developmental disabilities are up to five times higher than for serving people with mental illness, leading to the conversion of many ARFs to serving people with developmental disabilities.63 · There is no mechanism in place to assist residents to develop independent living skills and move on from Board and Care homes to more independent living. · Because Board and Care homes are affordable on SSI income, and few other affordable housing options are available for people with mental illness, some residents who might be successful in a more independent setting remain in Board and Care homes. This both limits their potential and prevents people appropriate for a Board and Care homes from accessing the resource. Unlicensed boarding homes are subject to many concerns about the quality of life for their residents and the surrounding communities. These homes can be attractive to residents because they leave residents with more discretionary income than licensed facilities.64 In 2002, for example, a resident of a licensed Board and Care home paid their entire SSI payment, $918, while a resident of an unlicensed boarding home paid $500 to $750 and had $168 to $418 for incidental expenses.65 Legally, independent boarding homes can provide room and board, but are prohibited from providing care, but some boarding homes provide illegal care without appropriate oversight. There are no regulations about staffing or care, which can create an unstable situation for residents and the surrounding community. In addition, some boarding homes are improperly maintained and have unsafe and/or unsanitary conditions that can endanger residents. Despite the quality concerns, a substantial portion of people with mental illness live in unlicensed boarding homes. Although a complete count of boarding homes is not available, Oakland had 86 in 2002, compared to about 100 Board and Care homes.66 Because oftheir extremely low incomes and disabilities, unlicensed boarding home residents would otherwise be at high risk of homelessness. 63 Michele Byrnes, Mandy Folse, Ruth Genn, and Michael Thompson, Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley, Substandard Board and Care: Addressing Inadequate Facilities in Oakland, May 2002, p. 6. Sponsored by Daphne Markham, Oakland Police Department in collaboration with Calvin Wong and Leslie Gould, City of Oakland Community and Economic Development Agency. 64 Ibid, p. 5. 65 Ibid, p. 5, Table I. SSI recipients who are residents of non-medical board and care receive a larger monthly payment than people with an "independent living status." For example, in the second halfof2005, a disabled person with an independent living status receives $812 per month, while a person living in a non-medical board and care receives $991. Source: Social Security Administration, "Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in California," January 2005. Available online: www.ssa.gov/pubs/II125.html#pay (Accessed: June 29, 2005). 66 Byrnes, p. 3.