Housing Supportive Services (HSS) is a Medicaid benefit that has been available to eligible DC residents since spring 2022. HSS is a Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) that is intended to assist eligible people with disabling health or behavioral health conditions in receiving the support they need to obtain and maintain stable housing in community settings, as an alternative to experiencing homelessness. HSS 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 in their own housing in the community and move toward wellness as the participant defines it.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH3) and HSS are synonymous when describing the type of services delivered. This is the third rendition of this human care agreement. PSH uses a Housing First Model developed to provide a permanent housing rental subsidy and housing-supportive case management services to chronically homeless persons, with the goal of supporting PSH participants’ achievement of housing stabilization, maximum levels of health, wellness, community integration, and participant-driven goals. PSH participants receive case management services and rental assistance for an unrestricted period of time.