What are supportive housing services?

Housing as Health www.housingashealth.org Everyone deserves a fair chance to be healthy. Medical care alone is not effective when patients lack safe, healthy, and affordable homes. Housing is fundamental to people’s health. Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program could save money by implementing a more comprehensive, statewide supportive housing services plan. The Housing as Health campaign is a statewide coalition of physical and behavioral healthcare providers, social services, housing-related entities, faith and community groups, advocates, and people enrolled in Medicaid, working together so that: Medicaid in Pennsylvania should cover more supportive housing services for more consumers with either a physical or behavioral health condition through a plan created with public input.

Supportive housing services include basics like case management, service coordination, and independent living skills with housing transition services - the plans, resources, and assistance needed to move-in - along with tenancysustaining services to strengthen relationships with landlords, coach tenants through issues, and keep people in safe, healthy affordable homes.

Why now? The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services in June 2015 encouraged states to reduce costs by enhancing supportive housing services. Other states have already implemented cost-saving approaches. Pennsylvania’s current system is limited, fragmented, and expensive.

What are we trying to win? We need the Department of Human Services to amend our Medicaid state plan and possibly seek a waiver to pay for more services for more people.

To do this, we are: ‣ Leading a statewide dialogue to ensure the definition of these new services is broad, inclusive, and consumer-centered ‣ Educating communities about supportive housing services ‣ Collecting stories about why these services make a difference ‣ Sharing with lawmakers the impact and savings of services ‣ Building a common network for medical and housing providers

What can I do?

Leadership for the campaign is shared among the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, and Project HOME. Help us strengthen healthcare by better integrating it with housing!

Contact Patrick Keenan of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network at (717) 322-5332 or [email protected], or visit www.housingashealth.org.

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