PETER'S STORY

My name is Peter Lye. I am a psychiatric consumer survivor and a Dream Team member. When I was in the hostel system and on the street, it was almost impossible for me to make any progress against the symptoms of my illness and addictions, let alone contribute to society. But I have made major strides since moving into a Habitat Services boarding house. But for the timely and fortunate availability to me of supportive housing, there is a good chance I would now be in jail, or even dead. However, this was only a lucky fluke. That is because there is a severe shortfall of supportive housing units in this city and the province.

Let me give you a picture of what the last decade of my life has been like for me. I was supporting myself marginally, by petty dealing, bottle deposits, busking and day labour, avoiding the health system and welfare. I had no future. I went from a flophouse where I caught seventy mice in a room barely larger than a double bed, to a crack house, which burned down, consigning me to the street, storage sheds, and a hostel for the next two and a half years. With no teeth, and broken glasses, I lived on cereal, sandwiches and the odd handout. I had been addicted to marijuana and hard drugs for my entire adult life. I dropped to my High School weight. Having been well educated and for many years a professional musician, I began to suspect that I was living with undiagnosed mental illness and that I was crudely self-medicating. That was then.

By the Autumn of 2001, I was a speaker at an international symposium on treatment courts, where I addressed representatives from eighteen nations. I have now taken up writing and research and have been published several times. I write my own speeches and have addressed groups ranging from fellow survivors to leading politicians. I serve on various boards and committees. This work helped my Dream Team colleagues, and me gain the prestigious ONPHA Tenants Achievement Award for 2002.

How did this happen? How did this come to be?

When the police finally plucked me off the street, I reached for and grasped a thin and precarious lifeline. Not without difficulty, I was finally accepted by the Toronto Drug Treatment Court and fast-tracked into comprehensive diagnosis and counseling. Another Godsend was being given my own space in a supportive housing boarding home, supervised by Habitat Services.

But what about so many others like me? Recent research has shown that two thirds of the homeless suffer from mental illness. A comprehensive approach to homelessness is a key underpinning to a visionary housing policy. This must include a generous proportion of supportive housing units. It can be achieved through the creation of new units, and the conversion of existing buildings throughout the province. This way, people facing mental illness can rebuild their lives and contribute to society, as I try.