Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the launch of the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, which will support states in developing or expanding innovative housing-related supports and services for Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities and older adults who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. As the name suggests, the Partnership Accelerator will focus on helping states improve collaboration and coordination between organizations and systems that provide services and resources that help people find — and keep — stable housing in the community.

The aging and disability networks have a critical role to play in this program, and we encourage you to reach out to your state Medicaid agency and other potential partners to explore options for your state’s application. Keep reading to learn more, and mark your calendar for an informational webinar on November 13! 

Helping States Leverage New Opportunities to Provide Housing-Related Services and Supports 

A growing number of states are leveraging new opportunities and flexibilities available under Medicaid, new federal housing resources, and expanded opportunities under the Older Americans Act to cover a range of services and supports that help people find, obtain, and maintain their housing. The Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator will bring interdisciplinary teams from four states together in a 12-month learning collaborative to tackle common issues, such as navigating payment models and rates, data integration and sharing, and more. The Accelerator also will offer participating states an opportunity to share lessons learned and promising practices for improving collaboration and coordination to optimize resources, cover resource gaps, align state and local policies, and to deliver more integrated and seamless services. States will also receive one-on-one coaching support from housing and services subject matter experts.

Eligibility and Application Information 

Participating teams will include state Medicaid agencies, as well as state and community organizations focused on homelessness and housing, aging and disability, substance abuse, public health, and more. To be eligible, states must have a (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-approved) Section 1115 demonstration project or Section 1915(i) state plan home and community-based services benefit covering housing-related supports for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. (Sections 1115 and 1915 of the Social Security Act authorize programs that test ways to deliver and pay for health care services in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.)

Letters of intent are due November 15, 2023 and final applications are due December 1, 2023. Instructions for both and links to the online forms can be found on the Accelerator webpage. 

Informational Webinar 

More details about this funding opportunity will be shared at an information session (via Zoom) on Monday, November 13, from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Advance registration is required. Complete details also can be found in the program overviews. 

Brought to you by the Housing and Services Resource Center 

The Accelerator is offered through the Housing and Services Resource Center (HSRC). Operated in partnership by HHS, HUD, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the HSRC is improving access to affordable, accessible housing and the critical services that make community living possible. Many people with disabilities, older adults, and people experiencing homelessness need help obtaining housing that is both affordable and accessible. Many also need access to community-based supportive services — such as behavioral health services, personal care assistance, tenancy supports, accessible transportation, and home-delivered meals — in order to live successfully and stably in the community. Without housing and services that meet their needs, they often have no choice but to live in facilities, like nursing homes and homeless shelters, or on the streets. In every state and community, there are a number of entities and programs helping people access housing and supportive services, but the housing and service systems often are siloed. Stronger collaboration between these systems would enable states and communities to coordinate resources to help older adults, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness achieve housing stability, live with dignity and independence in the community, and avoid homelessness and costly institutional care. The HSRC is supporting states in building that collaboration and coordination.

Within HHS, this partnership is led by the Administration for Community Living and includes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The Health Resources and Services Administration also is supporting complementary efforts to fund technical assistance to states to support the development and implementation of sustainable financing of health and housing programs.