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Dar� must
<br />lose his
<br />home to
<br />g�t help �� _
<br />J;C�r
<br />�cpj iLC
<br />By Lisa Schnellinger R. �
<br />P-I Reporter ��_�s-5y
<br />GVGRGTT — The roning wim
<br />dow frames havr. becn ��•iihout Flass
<br />(or years. Thc fronr door is a
<br />�nirered sleeping bag. The house has
<br />no mm�ing wa�er, �no elr.ctriciry, no
<br />heat.
<br />Por nca;l� 10 �rais, Dan Rob�
<br />bins has hved alone in the house ai
<br />Grl9 Highland Drice, suffering lits ot
<br />temper he can't esplain, ieartng
<br />apart ihe fumiture and ihe fixtures.
<br />Lots of people know him —
<br />they've seen him digging in ihe
<br />garbage cans cr roamin6 the stree�s
<br />— but ihey mostly avoid talking to
<br />him.
<br />For more than fiee years, Bver-
<br />rtt housing inspec!or Ylarian Dent
<br />has been tryin� tn �ind help foc
<br />Robbins.
<br />Vesterdap, the City Councll
<br />agrecd with �he solinion shc pmsem_
<br />ed: Tear ihc house dow�n. �
<br />Only wa,y to hclp
<br />T�eo agencics — tL•e siaie Dc�
<br />pa;tment of Social and {lealth Serv
<br />vices and S:iohomish Count,v's men•
<br />tnl health dh�ision of human services
<br />— told Dent i� was ihe only way ihey
<br />could hrlp Rrbbins. As long as he
<br />has income and a place to il��e, ihey
<br />can'i help.
<br />IIut if he's homeless, ihey can.
<br />J7aybe.
<br />I.ornmc Lr�r, adult services
<br />supervisor with the state agenc}•,
<br />�old ihe rnuncil iha� it «�ouid be
<br />difGcult iu find a place for Robbms
<br />Uccausc of Ius desnii;tive behuviar.
<br />•.Hc's bcen livin� in this
<br />unstruc�ured situatinn for }�cars . . .
<br />i C:IiI�I 52)' \5'C l'�tl find a place for
<br />Scc DAN, PaFc A•5 �
<br />.11�an mu�st
<br />lose his
<br />�ome to
<br />get help
<br />From Pagc A-I
<br />him," she said.
<br />Council member Dale'Pope, n
<br />fortner policemen who knew:Robbins
<br />in his vears as en officer, sald he fcli
<br />the ciiy hnd to put the beli in the
<br />agencies' court. "Hopefully som���
<br />body, sotnewhere is going to see thc
<br />light and take cnre of this," he saiJ.
<br />Bad buy
<br />Robbins said no one has asti�d
<br />him N�hat he H'ants.
<br />Hc secmed almost ashamed, as
<br />though he's becn � bad boy too IonF
<br />ro be granted any u�ishes. But at 44,
<br />Robbins H'ants a second chance.
<br />'9 u�ish I haJ it to do all over
<br />agaln;' he said, standing owside his
<br />home yesterday afternoon. "1'd take
<br />care ol things beuer."
<br />He said he wants someone to
<br />helo him control his fils of temper,
<br />so �he could have his ou�n place
<br />ins�ead o( living u�ith others who are
<br />mentelly handicapped.
<br />"1 would love ih.0 ... Jlaybe a
<br />setond chance." But he added, m a
<br />whlsper,'9 doubt iL"
<br />He has a Social Security income,
<br />whlch his sie:ers control as his le�al
<br />guflrdlens. One of ihem, Sharon
<br />1�hnston o( Ecerett, snid she is
<br />iq�ing ro tind houslnQ lor her broth;
<br />er. She refused to romment funher.
<br />But she and the other sister,
<br />F:leanor Merritt of Arlington, imve
<br />iold Denl they would ullow Ihe house
<br />to be de�nolished because they think
<br />iPs impossibie m bring ii up to
<br />houstng code stnndards.
<br />Dengarous housc
<br />Md, Dcnt safd m an interview,
<br />"He has a roof ovcr his head nnL
<br />�hat's nll that metters right now p,�
<br />the agencles). Sure therNs o roof
<br />over his heed, but there's absolurely
<br />nolhing else."
<br />Neighbors complained to Dent in
<br />July 19i9. She inspected the house
<br />and (ound a•oai ro�, a detcrionting
<br />structure, end broken ���indou•s and
<br />doors. The house, she said, is danger-
<br />ous.
<br />Robbins' neighbors became even
<br />more alarmed when thcy saw him
<br />burning trash inside the house to
<br />k��ep wartn. fIe said hc uoesdt do
<br />ih�t anymore: "1 have several blam
<br />kets ond a slceping bog."
<br />Dent arcanged n number of
<br />meetings a�ith �he fomilp, the agem
<br />cies and ethers orer th�� ��cars.
<br />�risis necded
<br />�s ,h^ ,^,:v�i�•.d n in ,, mcira 1���.
<br />Apnl ta a eny aaomey, �hey mached
<br />the conclusion thnt "perhnps u crisis
<br />uas the thing needed in this situa•
<br />tion:'
<br />"The men�al health olficer said
<br />that should thc city take steps to
<br />evict Dnn from his residence, the,y
<br />could take steps to heip him as thcy
<br />feel It wouid be wnrrnnted. The
<br />Department ot Social and Health
<br />Services said it would also be abie to
<br />assist Dan as he H�ould need R piace
<br />to Iivc."
<br />Robbins has been known to
<br />ihrow raks or yell at peopl^ uho
<br />sllght him, though he's neeer hurt
<br />anyone, Dent sald. Robbins s�id that
<br />after he spent 30 da}�s in Jr9 in 1977,
<br />he dcesn't :hmw rocAs an}more.
<br />Uent said mental health ofLcers
<br />have evaluated Robbins serenl
<br />times and concluded that "he seems
<br />to be doing (ine. He can put up with
<br />thc II(e, such as it is." They have told
<br />her they want to rc-evaivate Folr
<br />bins, but haven't been able to.
<br />Mental health authorities could
<br />not lx reached tor comment. They
<br />are howfd by contidentiality Irom
<br />speaking aboutlndivldual cases.
<br />$�Stfl6 8l 8 �065
<br />Merritt said her brother is 'Yenl
<br />nice. He's alway� been a thoughtful
<br />kid — he nlu�ays remembers my
<br />binhday, and ff somebody's sick he
<br />calls them:'
<br />She knew ntwut his living c�ndi•
<br />iions, but the slsters ure at n loss
<br />about what to do.
<br />"Sharon went nnd tixed up
<br />thinp,s, but he just kept tearing them
<br />up," Merritt said. "Fina;ly we Just
<br />gave up and let him Ilve Iike he
<br />wanted ro. He's jost mndc the house
<br />that way, but to him i! is homc."
<br />Robhins said he was in an '
<br />institutlon in Buckley, N'nsh., frmn
<br />1951 to 19fi0. The Rair�ier School tor i
<br />�he mentally mtarded is located in
<br />6ut�ley.
<br />His (nthcr hrought Robbins home
<br />io the house on HighlanE in 19fi(1, and
<br />the two lived there imtll his father
<br />died in 1'J75. Attcr that, Robbins said,
<br />he began dlsmanUing die honse in
<br />bouls o( rage.
<br />He doesn't know why he keeps
<br />tcaring it apan. But hc wishes
<br />someone could help him stop.
<br />"1 know it had to happen sooner
<br />or later:' he ssid after Icarning of
<br />council's decision to demolish the
<br />house. "1 knev� something ti�ould
<br />happen.
<br />"I'm so osed to lettmg nry sisters
<br />u�kc carc ot �hings, I gucss I'll just
<br />let them do it. Maybe �clih the
<br />proceeds (trom sclling the propem�)
<br />ihey tould @r� m^ anoihcr pl�icc."
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