What Is A “Loeb House “ ?

It all began in 1982 by five Rockland County Government colleagues interested in the County’s victims of mental illness and addiction. Thy were Dr. Bert Pepper, the Commissioner of the County’s Department of Mental Health + Stan Goldstein, the Deputy Director, + Hal Eckes, the Financial Director + Judge Miller who was on Orangetown’s first Narcotic Guidance Council with me, a County Legislator steeped in the world of people with mind related maladies.

Our first initiative was creating “Loeb House, Inc.’’, a Private Not-For-Profit Voluntary special needs housing and treatment service Agency licensed and certified by the New York State Office on Mental Health, a Community Mental Health contract agency of Rockland County to serve Individuals and Families living with a diagnosis of a Serious and Persistent Mental Illness and alcohol and chemical addictions.

Our first goal was to provide housing and treatment services to the young chronic schizophrenics, ages 18-35, who were being discharged after being treated at the Rockland State Hospital/Rockland Psychiatric Center.

Our first residences were [and still going strong] the Charles Davis House of 14 beds, the Monsignor James Cox Treatment Apartments of 30 beds in a former motel, the Lukens Family House of 12 beds and the Keahon Family House of 12 beds.

One of the first staff was a young impressive gentleman, named Tom Zimmerman, who rose from being a Program Supervisor of the Monsignor Cox Treatment Apartments in 1987 to the Charity’s Executive Director in 1989, just two years later and has led the Charity since to its present remarkable status in Rockland County. Tom has been the"Pilot of the Good Ship Loeb House" for more than 30 successful years.

Tom has grown the number of beds in the community from the original 68 beds to a total of 131, the latter in apartments.

As if that wasn’t enough, Tom Co-Foundered, with me and others, another charity in 1987 named Joseph’s Home [after my late Brother] which has 44 beds in 5 separate buildings, one boarding house with 20 beds and 4 apartment houses with 24 beds total. He also manages the “Rockland Homes for Heroes” 8 Supportive Apartments for former homeless veterans.

Joseph’s Home, Inc. is a private not-for-profit voluntary agency licensed and certified by the Rockland County Department of Health to provide special needs housing to homeless individuals and their families living in Rockland County who have experienced one or a combination of mental illness, homelessness, chemical dependency, HIV/AIDS and other disabilities. Joseph’s Home, Inc. is certified by the Rockland County Office of Community Development as one of the Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO) to development and management Affordable Low Income Housing to income eligible homeless residents of the County. Joseph’s Home, Inc. is also a contract Agency through the Rockland County Department of Mental Health providing 2 Respite Apartments for Individuals in need of temporary (5-day) Housing and Supportive Services.

Think about this number -183 beds in total ! That’s quite a career achievement in a world of great need and challenge. Appropriate safe affordable housing is as an important life’s need as food and clothing. I like to think that "Loeb House" and Tom have lit a lot of candles in the dark and kept them burning for all to find safe sanctuary.