Eligibility
A person is eligible for HSS if they are enrolled in Medicaid and meet the following criteria:
- Is 18 years of age or older;
- Needs assistance with getting and maintaining housing as a result of a documented disability or disabling condition, as indicated by a need for assistance in at least one of the following:
- Mobility;
- Decision-making;
- Maintaining healthy social relationships;
- Assistance with at least one basic need such as self-care, money management, bathing, changing clothes, toileting, getting food, or preparing meals; or
- Managing challenging behaviors;
AND
-
Is experiencing housing instability as evidenced by one of the following risk factors:
- Is chronically homeless;
- Is at risk of chronic homelessness; or
- Was recently chronically homeless and for whom providing HSS will prevent a return to homelessness.
Role of Coordinated Entry
For people who are currently experiencing homelessness and who are not already receiving services in DC’s Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program, DC’s Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement (CAHP) process will be used to complete an independent evaluation of an individual’s eligibility for PSH. This is the first step in the process of establishing their eligibility for HSS. For a person to be eligible for PSH, their score on a standardized tool, combined with other information gathered about the person’s functional status, must indicate that they need PSH because of conditions that interfere with or limit their capacity to function in ways that affect housing stability. Currently, the standardized tool used in the CAHP process is the Vulnerability Index and Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT). The assessment score and other available information regarding the person’s needs will be reviewed by a panel of CAHP decision-makers.
Once an individual is matched to PSH through DC’s Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement (CAHP) process, DHS will complete a conflict-free assessment.
Enrollment in Medicaid
Some people eligible for Housing Supportive Services may not be currently enrolled in Medicaid. A case manager (outreach worker or shelter provider currently assisting the person with the CAHP process) will assist the person in completing the Medicaid enrollment or re-enrollment process as quickly as possible for the person to begin receiving Medicaid-covered HSS.
DHS will use local funds to pay qualified service providers for HSS services that are delivered to persons who are eligible for HSS but not eligible for enrollment in Medicaid.