A bipolar gentleman called me this week to see what it would take for him to buy a foreclosure property. It was kind of sad, having to talk with a man who apparently had been beaten down by his circumstances, but who also had no concept of the homeownership process.

(“Bipolar disorder involves episodes of both serious mania and depression. The person's mood swings from excessively 'high' and irritable, to sad and hopeless, and then back again, with periods of normal mood in between. Different from normal mood states of happiness and sadness, symptoms of manic-depressive illness can be severe and life threatening,” according to Psychiatry24x7.com, a web site dedicated to psychological research and information. According to a 1999 HUD report, nearly 40 percent of the nation’s homeless are single adults with severe mental illnesses.)

His check from Social Security each month was about $550 – and with this he wanted to buy a house. The problem was – this was all of his income and he currently lived in a homeless shelter and received Medicaid for his prescription medicine.

What are the poor to do? Even more disheartening – what are the poor and those afflicted with mental illness, to do?

One of the first places to look is at the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s web site – specifically at its page for HUD Housing Counseling Clearinghouse. It’s a long URL, but worth bookmarking for those who need housing assistance. The group also operates a 24-hour automated voice response system at 800/569-4287.

Homeowners and homebuyers can get referrals to housing counseling agencies through this system, as well.

The HCC collects and catalogs information on housing and homeownership programs, publishes a newsletter targeted to housing professionals, and disseminates information on HUD initiatives, just to name a few of its tasks.

From the above web page, you can also find a national list of agencies approved by HUD to help service your needs. The list is huge and it’s not interactive, so be ready to sit down in front of your screen with pencil and paper in hand.

An obvious source for public assistance can also be with your local Realtor. Unfortunately, not all Realtors are familiar with public assistance and special loan programs. Start with the broker of an office and ask him or her for a referral to an agent in his office who works with low- to moderate-income buyers who need special programs. These agents are worth their weight in platinum for the plethora of information they’ve harvested over the years.

To get names of offices and agents available to help you, visit www.Realtor.com and click the State and Local Associations link under the About the National Association of Realtors section. Here you’ll find listings of associations across the country that have web sites. Most of these sites have a list of agents that you can search. There’s a major database of agents also available on Realtor.com.

While these are good places to turn toward for those who have jobs and can get into housing by saving and budgeting, the question for those with mental illness still remains unanswered.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill has more than 210,000 members who seek equitable services for people with severe mental illnesses, which are known to be physical brain disorders. The Arlington, Va.-based organization “supports increasing access to permanent housing and appropriate supports and services that allow persons with serious mental illnesses (or brain disorders) to live in the community.”

Permanent housing resources include HUD’s Section 811 and Shelter Plus Care programs, as well as tenant-based rental assistance linked to the emerging "elderly only" housing designation crisis.

Those with mental illness also face the challenge of limited job skills to make a substantial living required to rent suitable housing, much less buy a home. In addition, Priced Out in 1998: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities (which NAMI helped write) reports that SSI income is less than 23 percent of median income nationally. The average rent for a modest, one-bedroom apartment would take 69 percent of a person's monthly SSI check. Without proper funding resources, many people with mental illness will find themselves locked into homeless shelters – much like the bipolar gentleman who called me.

A country is only as strong as its weakest citizen. With that in mind, we shouldn’t let homelessness define our greatness.

Published: August 23, 2002

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Mr. Carr has covered real estate since 1989. He is the author of Real Estate Investing Made Simple. Got a personal real estate issue? Post your questions and comments at Anthony’s blog: commonsenserealestate.blogspot.com.