HUD Releases Resource to Support Medicaid Coordination with Homeless Services

(Sept. 3, 2024) The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released a new brief outlining strategies for Continuums of Care (CoCs) and Coordinated Entry Systems (CESs) to understand how to access Medicaid funds for supportive housing assistance for people experiencing homelessness.

States increasingly seek to use Medicaid to fund housing services, including to support pre-tenancy and tenancy-sustaining services. For example, in NYS, the 1115 Medicaid waiver provides for Medicaid members to be screened for health-related social needs (HRSN) and receive assistance navigating to existing federal, state, and local social programs including housing supports such as transitional services, rent and utility assistance, home remediation and accessibility modifications, and other pre-tenancy and tenancy-sustaining services.

The HUD brief outlines best practices in aligning screening tools and eligibility processes to better connect people experiencing homelessness with health care and stable housing. Recognizing that housing-related services are available in a small subset of states and for very targeted populations, HUD encourages state housing authorities to connect with Medicaid agencies early to optimize programmatic success.

Review the new brief here.

Contact: Annalyse Komoroske Denio, akomoroskedenio@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866