The goal of the locally funded Permanent Supportive Housing Program (PSH) and the Medicaid-funded Housing Supportive Services (HSS) is to create the enabling conditions for program participants to achieve the following objectives: 1) obtain long-term housing; 2) maintain their housing by complying with any/all lease provisions and local laws; and, 3) achieve the highest level of participant-driven-goals possible and improve the overall quality of their lives. The primary objective of the case management services is to assist PSHP participants with achieving these objectives by connecting program participants to supportive services that address their barriers to maintaining their housing and achieving their goals.
Housing Supportive Services includes two types of services:
- Housing Navigation Services helps a participant plan for, find, and move to housing of their own in the community; and
- Housing Stabilization Services helps a participant sustain living in their own housing in the community.
Housing Navigation Services
Using a Housing First approach, Housing Navigation assistance is designed to identify and secure housing for participants as quickly as possible, by implementing activities such as active recruitment and retaining of landlords and housing managers willing to rent to participants (who may otherwise fail to pass typical tenant screening criteria); housing unit search and identification; helping participants gather documents needed for housing; completing the housing and subsidy application process; and moving and securing basic housing needs. The Housing Navigation assistance offered by the PSH Provider to all participants needs to be consistent with the participant’s needs and preferences (within the limits of their income combined with available subsidy), taking into consideration safety and access to transportation, connection to health care, treatment, school, daycare and support systems, and employment opportunities.
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Required contacts: During the Housing Navigation Phase, the Provider shall have one participant contact per week. Of the weekly contacts, the Provider shall have a minimum of two face-to-face participant contacts per month. The Provider shall, at a minimum, provide four contacts with every individual each month unless it is determined by the Provider or DHS that the participant’s barriers to housing are significant enough that contact is required more often to complete housing lease-up
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Caseloads for case managers shall not exceed 25 Heads of Households or individuals. A caseload of less than 25 may be designated by DHS in certain cases. The Provider shall not assign more than 10 new unhoused individuals to a case manager's caseload per month.
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Rates: Providers will receive a per member per month (PMPM) rate of $755.21 for all clients who meet the required contacts. This rate applies to HSS, which is funded by Medicaid and available to DC Medicaid beneficiaries determined eligible for PSH through the District’s Coordinated Assessment Housing Plan (CAHP) process, and to PSH, which is locally funded and is for DC residents determined eligible for PSH through the CAHP process that is ineligible for Medicaid enrollment. For clients who also have minor children in the household, there will be an additional $400 supplemental monthly payment in addition to the PMPM rate.
Housing Stabilization Services
Services during this phase are designed to help households who are at risk of becoming homeless to keep their housing. This begins once a participant is leased in their voucher program unit. This includes but is not limited to prevention, developing wellness and early identification of behaviors from all members of the household that may jeopardize continued housing, assistance with housing recertification processes, training on being a good tenant, lease compliance, household management, maintaining income and benefits, supporting the building of natural housing supports and resources in the community, and linkages to other District agencies.
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Required contacts: During the Housing Stabilization Phase, the Provider shall have a minimum of one face-to-face participant contact per month, which shall be conducted in the home, and one other contact for a total of two per month. Providers shall, at minimum, provide two contacts with every individual per month unless it is requested by the participant, or it is determined by the Provider or the District that the participant’s level of stabilization needs are significant enough that contact is required more often to achieve/maintain housing stabilization.
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Caseloads for case managers shall not exceed 25 individuals or 17 families. A caseload of less than 25 may be designated by DHS in certain cases.
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Rates: Providers will receive a per member per month (PMPM) rate of $770.31 for all clients who meet the required contacts. This rate applies to HSS, which is funded by Medicaid and available to DC Medicaid beneficiaries determined eligible for PSH through the District’s Coordinated Assessment Housing Plan (CAHP) process, and to PSH, which is locally funded and is for DC residents determined eligible for PSH through the CAHP process that is ineligible for Medicaid enrollment. For clients who also have minor children in the household, there will be an additional $400 supplemental monthly payment in addition to the PMPM rate.