LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 35th Anniversary of Community
Access, Inc.

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 35th Anniversary of Community Access, Inc., to be celebrated
at its Good Neighbor Gala on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at New York
University; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Community Access, Inc. is honoring three
outstanding individuals, including: Steve Coe, Executive Director,
Community Access, Inc.; Mark Mandell, Executive Director, Cushman &
Wakefield, Inc.; and Carri Lyon, Senior Director, Cushman & Wakefield,
Inc.; and
WHEREAS, For decades, individuals with chronic psychiatric disabili-
ties were housed in psychiatric facilities where they received hardly
any socialization, life skills or employment services; these facilities
served to warehouse rather than rehabilitate people, but in the early
1970s, a movement swept across the nation to "deinstitutionalize"
psychiatric patients and discharge them to community care; and
WHEREAS, In theory, these particular individuals should have received
superior care, but in practice there was little follow-up and thousands
of the formerly hospitalized found themselves living on the streets, in
homeless shelters or in prison; and
WHEREAS, Community Access, Inc. was founded in 1974 as a proactive and
bold response to the mass release of patients from New York's psychiat-
ric hospitals; founding board members pooled their resources and efforts
to rent and renovate three apartments on Manhattan's Lower East Side for
those who faced homelessness; they also assisted its first residents to
reconnect with the community, find work and rebuild social skills; and
WHEREAS, By 1977, Community Access, Inc. was able to purchase its
first two buildings consisting of 44 apartments; these were for single
individuals with psychiatric disabilities and also for low-income fami-
lies; and
WHEREAS, Community Access' early efforts became the prototype for one
of the nation's first supported housing programs, and a model that
Community Access uses today; and
WHEREAS, Just as its founders did 35 years ago, Community Access
continues to develop and implement innovative solutions for the many
challenges faced by individuals living with chronic and persistent
mental illness; by providing the bridge between housing, support
services, job training and employment programs, it transforms the lives
of people with mental illness; today, this group owns and operates 13
buildings and leases 60 scattered-site housing units consisting of 800
apartment units; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals and organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are
brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by
all the citizens of the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Community Access, Inc., to be cele-
brated at its Good Neighbor Gala; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Community Access, Inc., and to the aforementioned honorees.