Richard Liegl ~ Homeless to Homeowner

Richard Liegl never takes anything for granted.  Although he is now a homeowner and full-time employee of NPI, he once lived a life of homelessness and despair, wandering the streets of Toledo for years.

Mr. Liegl’s difficulties began in his early 20’s when he was living with his family in Cleveland. He couldn’t hold a job. His relationship with his parents was getting worse and worse.

“They thought I was uncontrollable,” he said. “I probably was. I don’t remember.”

Nobody could see the problem was schizophrenia.

“They were in denial - they thought I was on drugs,” he said. “I was in denial – I thought everyone was hearing the same voices I was.”

When the family moved to Florida in the late 1970’s, the young man stayed behind.

“My pop gave me money for three or four days in a hotel, and then he left. I guess that was tough love.”

For the next 25 years, he and his family lost track of each other. He did his best to survive, moving to Erie, Penn., to attend trade school and earn certificates in machine shops, foundry and janitorial work. But until he learned to manage his illness, steady employment would be just a dream.

“I’d get a job, and they’d get wind that I was on meds or something like that. Then I’d get called into the office and they’d say ‘You did this, and you did that.’ Then it was over.”

Without income or guidance, he drifted. By the late 1980’s he was homeless in Toledo. One of his haunts was a sidewalk grate near The Blade that emits heat during winter. Finally, a turning point came in 1993 with a stay in jail after he had words with a police officer. He ended up in the mental health ward of a local hospital afterward.

“I was wondering what I would do when I was discharged. I was relieved when they said I would go to a group home.”

The facility for mentally ill adults gave Mr. Liegl a chance to focus on getting well. He lived there for seven years, with Social Security covering the cost of care. In 1996 Mark Ashley of Neighborhood Properties, Inc. (NPI), entered the scene.

“I took him out to movies, and we ate at restaurants,” Mr. Ashley said. “I encouraged him to keep moving and not to give up… it gave him more confidence and hope.”

Mr. Liegl was receptive. He joined Unison Behavioral Health Group’s Aim High Clubhouse to gain social and skill-building experiences. By 2000 he was ready to try independent living at an NPI apartment. He received assistance first from the Housing Assistance Program, funded by the Ohio Department of Mental Health via the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County. Later his rent subsidy was switched to Section 8, a permanent support funded by the Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority. Mr. Ashley watched his progress and stepped in when a custodian was needed to clean NPI’s office. He talked to Executive Director John Hoover about hiring Mr. Liegl. Within several months, Mr. Liegl was working full-time. As an advocate for mental health issues he has traveled to Washington D.C., meeting with U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur and U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor to share his story and ask for full funding for supportive housing in the federal budget. He is known at NPI for his friendly, hard-working nature - and as the official grill chef at NPI picnics.

“One time I asked Richard how he was doing,” Mr. Hoover recalled recently. “Richard’s answer was, ‘How many times have I called in sick in the past three years?’”

The answer – no absences – indicated Mr. Liegl was doing well. Success just kept coming. In 2002 he got his driver’s license and found his parents after 25 years. Today they have a good relationship. The picture was almost complete.

In August 2003 Mr. Liegl purchased his own home in South Toledo. He received a mortgage from Huntington Bank and financial assistance from the Ohio Departments of Mental Health and Development. In addition, he used his own savings and got help from his parents.

“It was nice to have that family support,” he says with a smile. “That was really good.”