Housing Services
HRSA Service Definition
Description:
Housing services provide limited short-term assistance to support emergency, temporary, or transitional housing to enable a client or family to gain or maintain outpatient/ambulatory health services. Housing-related referral services include assessment, search, placement, advocacy, and the fees associated with these services.
Housing services are transitional in nature and for the purposes of moving or maintaining a client or family in a long-term, stable living situation. Therefore, such assistance cannot be provided on a permanent basis and must be accompanied by a strategy to identify, relocate, and/or ensure the client or family is moved to, or capable of maintaining, a long-term, stable living situation.
Eligible housing can include housing that provides some type of medical or supportive services (such as residential substance use disorder services or mental health services, residential foster care, or assisted living residential services) and housing that does not provide direct medical or supportive services, but is essential for a client or family to gain or maintain access to and compliance with HIV-related outpatient/ambulatory health services and treatment.
Program Guidance:
RWHAP Part recipients must have mechanisms in place to allow newly identified clients access to housing services. Upon request, RWHAP recipients must provide HAB with an individualized written housing plan, consistent with RWHAP Housing Policy 11-01, covering each client receiving short term, transitional and emergency housing services. RWHAP recipients and local decision-making planning bodies, (i.e., Part A and Part B) are strongly encouraged to institute duration limits to provide transitional and emergency housing services. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines transitional housing as up to 24 months and HRSA/HAB recommends that recipients consider using HUD’s definition as their standard.
Housing services funds cannot be in the form of direct cash payments to clients and cannot be used for mortgage payments.
Number of Clients Served, Units Provided, Expenditures, Allocation, Over/Under-spending
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing Assistance Clients | 894 | 886 | 848 | 542 | 578 | 402 | 587 |
| Housing Assistance Units (clients) | 27,060 | 22,187 | 25,982 | 18,999 | 12,469 | 23,001 | 9,636 |
| Housing Assistance Dollars | $543,032 | $539,294 | $278,368 | $589,877 | $469,430 | $623,413 | $858,948 |
| Allocated Dollars | $584,613 | $573,534 | $179,145 | $566,322 | $563,477 | $563,466 | $590,084 |
| Over/ Underspending | $41,581 under | $34,240 under | $99,223 over | $23,555 over | $94,047 under | $59,947 over | $268,864 over |
2016 includes emergency assistance (182 units and clients), supportive services and legal (633 clients 10,694 qtr hrs), and transitional housing (79 clients, 16,184 days)- units include voucher, quarter hour for (support service/legal) and day for transitional
Funding by Part, and info on any other payers
| Total Part A Funds (Formula + Supp.) | MAI | Total Part B Funds (Formula + Supp. NJ) | Total Part B Funds (Formula + Supp. PA) | Total Part C EIS Funds (State & Local) | Total Part D Funds (State & Local) | Total Part F Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last Year Allocation | $590,083 | ||||||
| Current Allocation |
Consumer survey info 2017 n=392
| n | Used in the last 12 months | Needed but did not get (last 12 months) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing Assistance | 160 | 63.1% | 36.9% |
Community Survey 2022 Service Responses n=236
| I never personally needed this service | I needed this service and received it | I needed but did not get this service | I never heard of this service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing Assistance | 36.02% | 23.73% | 11.44% | 2.54% |
Unmet need
For the purposes of this document, need is based on the response of a consumer when asked if there was a service they needed. MMP interviews patients in care and asks consumers if they need a service and if they receive it. Client services unit data identifies needs at the time of initial intake.
| 2015-18 MMP Percent with a Need | 2021 Client Services Unit Need at Intake | |
| Housing Assistance | 13.2% | 67.8% |
Recipient Service Considerations
Housing Services
The number of clients who received housing services increased by 185 clients (46%) compared to FY21, and utilization increased by 513 units (5.6%). Meanwhile, expenditures increased by 37.8%.
Housing services fund emergency short-term rental assistance (EFA), supportive services, group housing, and legal assistance.