Vilnius city municipality purchased 12 new apartments that will be dedicated to people with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities. A total of 24 people will be able to live in these apartments with the help of social workers. Such a decision will help not only to expand community services, but also to satisfy the need of 16 people waiting in line to receive sheltered housing services.
"Vilnius City Municipality is currently very actively implementing the transformation of institutional care: a day employment center and social workshops are being built on Savanorių Avenue, a group living home has just opened on Naujasodžios Street, and another one is being built on Tunelis Street. I am very happy that a relatively new sheltered housing service is being expanded in parallel in the city. We aim for people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, depending on their individual situation, to have different opportunities to live as independently as possible, to receive services and the necessary help in the community," he said. Vilnius city municipalities vice mayor Simona Bieliūnė.
Case managers (social workers) will help people with disabilities living in sheltered housing to perform daily tasks, develop independence, look for work, manage finances, plan time and other issues of independent living. According to the current legislation, such service can be continued for up to three years.
In order to expand the sheltered housing service in the capital in 2023. 12 not older than 2020 were purchased at the end of construction of three-room apartments. They are arranged, all equipment and furniture necessary for everyday life have been purchased. Residents will move into these homes in the near future. Two people will live in each apartment.
In the newly acquired sheltered housing, services will be provided by the Lithuanian Association for the Care of Mentally Disturbed People, to whom 14 apartments have been transferred under the right of trust.
The apartments and their installation cost the municipality 2,1 million. Eur. The purchase of these apartments is part of the EU-funded project "Development of Community Social Services of the City of Vilnius for People with Mental and/or Mental Disabilities". According to this project, a total of 14 apartments were purchased in Vilnius, and 32 places necessary for the provision of sheltered housing services were created.
Currently, 16 people are using sheltered housing services in Vilnius. Sheltered housing services are provided to Vilnius residents by 4 non-governmental organizations that have been granted the right to provide accredited social care.
