Supportive Housing Initiative

Financial Assistance and Housing Retention Services for PLWHA

This program provides financial assistance and housing retention services to support PLWHA in obtaining and maintaining safe and affordable housing, and to prevent eviction and utility shut off.  Services include, but are not limited to:

  • One-time emergency financial assistance may be provided to eligible clients living outside of New York City once during a 12-month period for emergency assistance for rent, utility, moving costs, and broker fees.It is not intended to provide ongoing financial support.
  • Short-term financial assistance provides support to clients living outside of NYC at risk of eviction or foreclosure and enables them to gain and/or maintain stable housing and medical care. Short-term rental assistance provides financial assistance to pay for a portion of an eligible client’s rent for multiple periods, unlike emergency assistance. Short-term rental assistance can be provided for up to 24 months.
  • Educational services such as independent living skills (e.g., budgeting, parenting, tenant property management), health education and nutrition education.
  • Coordination of services in conjunction with the assigned care manager (e.g., health home or managed care organization care manager).
  • Case conferencing with other service providers including health home care managers, health care providers, substance use providers and/or mental health providers.

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Financial Assistance and Housing Retention Services for HIV-Positive Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Young Adults (Age 18-24) in New York City

This program provides limited financial assistance and housing retention services to LGBT young adults between 18 and 25 years old living with HIV in New York City. It assists in developing the skills necessary for remaining in stable housing so clients may engage in and maintain enrollment in medical care and acquire the skills and stability needed to successfully achieve independent living. Services include, but are not limited to:

  • Limited-term rental assistance provides financial assistance to clients who are not HASA eligible to pay for a portion of an eligible client’s rent until the client develops the skills and stability needed to successfully achieve independent living, or until the client reaches the age of 25.
  • Educational services such as independent living skills (e.g., budgeting, parenting, tenant property management), health education and nutrition education.
  • Coordination of services in conjunction with the assigned care manager (e.g., health home or managed care organization care manager).
  • Case conferencing with other service providers including health home care managers, health care providers, substance use providers and/or mental health providers.

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Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) Long-Term Rental Assistance and Housing Retention Services for High-Need Medicaid Beneficiaries Living with HIV/AIDS Outside of New York City

This program provides long-term rental assistance and housing retention services to high-need Medicaid beneficiaries living with HIV/AIDS as well as other morbidities, who are homeless, unstably housed, or at high risk of becoming homeless, and who live outside of New York City. Services include, but are not limited to:

  • Long-term rental assistance provides financial assistance to pay for a portion of an eligible client’s rent until the client develops the skills and stability needed to successfully achieve independent living.
  • Educational services such as independent living skills (e.g., budgeting, parenting, tenant property management), health education, nutrition education, and vocational readiness education.
  • Coordination of services in conjunction with the assigned care manager (e.g., health home or managed care organization care manager).
  • Case conferencing with other service providers including health home care managers, health care providers, substance use providers and/or mental health providers.

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Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI)

This program provides the funding needed to operate and provide rental assistance and housing retention services to eligible target populations so that they remain stably housed in permanent supportive housing units. The eligible target populations to be served under this program are families, individuals and/or young adults who are homeless, are identified as having an unmet housing need, and have one or more disabling conditions including, but not limited to:

  • Serious mental illness;
  • Substance use disorder;
  • Persons living with HIV or AIDS;
  • Victims/survivors of domestic violence;
  • Homeless young adults between 18 and 25 years old;
  • Adults, youth or young adults reentering the community from incarceration or juvenile justice placement, particularly those with disabling conditions; and
  • Individuals who are Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) high cost Medicaid populations (MRT Eligible).

Services assist eligible families, individuals and young adults to live independently and remain stably housed, and may include but are not limited to:

  • Promoting access to and engagement in primary health services;
  • Promoting access to and engagement in behavioral health services;
  • Housing case management;
  • Counseling and crisis intervention;
  • Legal system advocacy and court assistance;
  • Parenting skills development and support;
  • Life skills training and support; and
  • Transportation assistance for needed services/entitlements.

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New York/New York III Supportive Housing Agreement

The New York/New York III (NY/NYIII) Supportive Housing program is a cooperative agreement originally signed on November 3, 2005 by five City and five State agencies to provide 9,000 new units of supportive housing in New York City to chronically homeless populations, including those with HIV/AIDS. The overall goal of this initiative is to reduce homelessness and provide safe and affordable housing and supportive services to clients who meet the eligibility criteria.

The AIDS Institute is responsible for the development of a total of 500 supportive housing units -- 300 congregate and 200 scatter-site. The AIDS Institute and the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) have entered into a cooperative agreement for HRA HASA to directly manage this NYC-based supportive housing initiative.

Those eligible for these supportive housing units are chronically homeless single adults (or single adults who are at serious risk of street or sheltered homelessness) who are persons living with HIV/AIDS, and who are clients of HASA receiving cash assistance, and who suffer from a co-occurring serious and persistent mental illness, a substance abuse disorder, or a MICA disorder.

Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) Setting Compliance and Final Rule

In 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the HCBS Final Rule related to Medicaid-funded Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). This rule implements a number of changes to home and community-based waivers and imposes new requirements on what is considered an appropriate home and community-based setting for all the authorities in its scope. All AIDS Institute supportive housing programs must be compliant with the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) HCBS Federal Settings Rule (42 CFR 441.301, et. seq.). More information about the AIDS Institute's HCBS Guidance can be found in the Supportive Housing Initiative Standards below. More information about HCBS can be found at https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/home_community_based_settings.htm

Contact:

Cindy Ravida
Initiative Director
Bureau of Community Support Services
Division of HIV and Hepatitis Health Care
cindy.ravida@health.ny.gov

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