THE HOUSING EXPERIENCE OF CHRONICALLY MENTALLY DISABLED CLIENTS IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO

The chronically mentally disabled (CMD) are seriously disadvantaged in the housing market by reason of disability and low socio-economic status. In many North American cities, the CMD are among the groups most vulnerable to homeiessness. Little attention has been paid to the housing situation and residential history of the CMD despite their supposed effects on coping ability and community tenure. This analysis of the residential experience of CMD clients in Hamilton, Ontario, is part of a larger study examining the factors affecting coping and satisfaction among the CMD in the community. The ghettoization of clients into board and care homes in the inner city is replicated in Hamilton. Serious disadvantage in the housing market is confirmed; clients frequently have to accept unsatisfactory living conditions despite repeated efforts to achieve improvements. In terms of residential mobility, two groups of clients are identified: the highly mobile and the more stable. The strongest predictors of mobility, education, and preference for independent living imply the effects of housing expectations and the difficulties associated with congregate living situations. Strong association is shown between housing satisfaction and composite indices of client coping in the community. Les clients psychiatriques (CP) ont des problèmes sérieux de logement pour des raisons d'incapacité et de statut inférieur au rang socio-économique. Dans plusieurs cités Nord-américaines, les CP sont parmi fes groupes les plus vulnérables dêtres sans logis. ll y a un manque d'égards envers les CP vis-à-vis la crise du logement et du dossier résidential, malgré leurs efforts prétendus de se débrouiller et de demeurer dans la communauté. Cette analyse d'expérience résidentielle de CP à Hamilton, Ontario, fait partie d'une plus grande étude qui examine les raisons qui influent sur la qualité de la vie parmi les CP de la communauté. Le phénomene de l'amalgamation des clients dans des pensions de famille au centre-ville est reproduit à Hamilton. Les problèmes sérieux de logement sont confirmés; les clients doivent souvent accepter des conditions de vie peu satisfaisantes, malgré les efforts répétés pour les améliorer. Au point de vue de la mobilité résidentielle deux groupes sont identifiés: les plus mobiles et les plus stables. fa plus grande correspondance de mobilité, d'éucation et de préférence pour la vie indé-pendante, donne à entendre fes effets d'espérance de logement et les difficultés associees avec une vie en groupes. ll y a une forte association entre la satisfaction du logement et les indices composés du client qui se débrouille dans la communauté.     

Economic Development,Social Identity and Community Empowerment in the Central and Western Amazon

A multi-dimensional and multi-scalar perspective is used to contrast different experiences with community development involving new settlers, the historic riverine peasantry and Amerindians on and beyond the advancing frontier in the Brazilian Amazon. Local development is shown to occur only when a compromise is reached between the economic development of individual farmers, common social background and community political empowerment. However, the local development of communities does not necessarily result in regional development because contradictions present between political actors can cancel out gains in one dimension or scale vis-à-vis others and so frustrate wider processes.     

QUICK SURVEY OF THE POSSIBLE CAUSES OF DAMAGE ENHANCEMENT OBSERVED IN SAN GIULIANO AFTER THE 2002 MOLISE,ITALY SEISMIC SEQUENCE

On October 31 and November 1, 2002, two earthquakes of magnitude 5.4 and 5.3 hit the area at the border between the Molise and Puglia regions in Southern Italy. The damage pattern in the epicentral area qualified the quake as an intensity VII MCS event, although providing a notable exception relevant to the small village of San Giuliano di Puglia. Since the first macroseismic survey, it appeared clear that in S. Giuliano the intensity was two degrees higher with respect to three neighbouring villages located within a radius of 3 km. Soon after the quake, our team started a campaign of microtremor HVSR measurements (Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio), then we installed accelerometers and carried out damage and geological surveys. Finally, we performed a geoelectrical tomography and two profiles of Vs velocity with depth using the NASW technique (Noise Analysis of Surface Waves). The preliminary observations indicate that ground motion amplification is present in S. Giuliano within the frequency band that may affect building. A strong velocity contrast 20 m deep causes the predominant peak. More amplification could be due to more complicated, 2D effects. As regards the damage pattern, it divides S. Giuliano in three zones showing different characteristics and seismic behaviour. A building-by-building survey is still under way to better evaluate vulnerability variations in different zones of the village. However, the acquired data so far is sufficient to propose site amplification as a possible cause of the damage enhancement observed in S. Giuliano.