


The people with whom [Heritage] deals ... are at the bottom of the housing ladder; people whose lives are on the edge of disintegration; people trying day by day to beat the disease of alcoholism, or mental illness, or substance abuse. That is our clientele. … Without government assistance to house this population, they will be in everyone’s backyard, and in their parks, and under their highways, and in their train stations.
And housing is only the first step. They need counseling. They need individual support. They need treatment.
… for this country to remain great, it must deal with and find a way to use the great potential this large disadvantaged population represents in terms of manpower (personpower), diversity and creativity.
- Ana Pereria
Heritage provides 75 beds of long-term/permanent service enriched housing for people living with AIDS or advanced HIV illness. The programmatic emphasis in this housing is on maintaining physical and emotional health, and reaching maximum individual potential. Services are designed to counteract the detrimental effects of AIDS and HIV illness, while offering holistic healing and opportunities for sobriety, physical reconstitution, recovery of function, and a residential safe haven where residents are encouraged to create a healthy community and become more productive members of society. Heritage uses specific structured interventions to assist individuals in developing skills and achieving a higher level of independence, while monitoring their illness in a safe, clean and decent residential environment. In addition to supportive services provided on-site, clients are also referred to local medical, mental health and substance abuse services as needed.