Description and Overview

1. Conducting a tenant screening and housing assessment that identifies the member’s preferences and barriers related to successful tenancy. The assessment may include collecting information on the member’s housing needs, potential housing transition barriers, and identification of housing retention barriers.
2. Developing an individualized housing support plan based upon the housing assessment that addresses identified barriers, includes short- and long-term measurable goals for each issue, establishes the member’s approach to meeting the goal, and identifies when other providers or services, both reimbursed and not reimbursed by Medi-Cal, may be required to meet the goal.
3. Searching for housing and presenting options.
4. Assisting in securing housing, including the completion of housing applications and securing required documentation (e.g., Social Security card, birth certificate, prior rental history).
5. Assisting with benefits advocacy, including assistance with obtaining identification and documentation for SSI eligibility and supporting the SSI application process. Such service can be subcontracted out to retain needed specialized skillset.
6. Identifying and securing available resources to assist with subsidizing rent (such as HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), or state and local assistance programs) and matching available rental subsidy resources to Members.
7. Identifying and securing resources to cover expenses, such as security deposit, moving costs, adaptive aids, environmental modifications, moving costs, and other one-time expenses.
8. Assisting with requests for reasonable accommodation, if necessary.
9. Landlord education and engagement

1. Ensuring that the living environment is safe and ready for move-in.
2. Communicating and advocating on behalf of the Member with landlords.
3. Assisting in arranging for and supporting the details of the move.
4. Establishing procedures and contacts to retain housing, including developing a housing support crisis plan that includes prevention and early intervention services when housing is jeopardized.
5. Identifying, coordinating, securing, or funding non-emergency, non-medical transportation to assist Members’ mobility to ensure reasonable accommodations and access to housing options prior to transition and on move in day.
6. Identifying, coordinating, securing, or funding environmental modifications to install necessary accommodations for accessibility (see Environmental Accessibility Adaptations Community Support). 

Eligibility Requirements

Individuals who are prioritized for a permanent supportive housing unit or rental subsidy resource through the local homeless Coordinated Entry System or similar system designed to use information to identify highly vulnerable individuals with disabilities and/or one or more serious chronic conditions and/or serious mental illness, institutionalization or requiring residential services because of a substance use disorder and/or is exiting incarceration; or

Individuals who meet the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of homeless as defined in Section 91.5 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations (including those exiting institutions but not including any limits on the number of days in the institution) and who are receiving enhanced care management, or who have one or more serious chronic conditions and/or serious mental illness and/or is at risk of institutionalization or requiring residential services as a result of a substance use disorder. For this service, qualifying institutions include hospitals, correctional facilities, mental health residential treatment facility, substance use disorder residential treatment facility, recovery residences, Institutions for Mental Disease, and State Hospitals; or

Individuals who meet the HUD definition of at risk of homelessness as defined in Section 91.5 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations as:

• (1) An individual or family who:
• Has an annual income below 30 percent of the median family income for the area, as determined by HUD;
• Does not have sufficient resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the “Homeless” definition in this section; and

Meets one of the following conditions:

• Has moved because of economic reasons two or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness prevention assistance;
• Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship;
• Has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days after the date of application for assistance;
  
• Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals;
• Lives in a single-room occupancy or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than two persons or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than 1.5 people per room, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau;
  
• Is exiting a publicly funded institution, or system of care (such as a health-care facility, a mental health facility, foster care or other youth facility, or correction program or institution); or 
  
• Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified in the recipient's approved consolidated plan;
• (2) A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under section 387(3) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)), section 637(11) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832(11)), section 41403(6) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2(6)), section 330(h)(5)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)(5)(A)), section 3(m) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(m)), or section 17(b)(15) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(15)); or
• (3) A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section but qualifies as “homeless” under section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that child or youth if living with her or him. 

Individuals who are determined to be at risk of experiencing homelessness are eligible to receive Housing Transition Navigation services if they have significant barriers to housing stability and meet at least one of the following:

• Have one or more serious chronic conditions;
• Have a Serious Mental Illness;
• Are at risk of institutionalization or overdose or are requiring residential services because of a substance use disorder or have a Serious Emotional Disturbance (children and adolescents);

• Are receiving Enhanced Care Management; or
• Are a Transition-Age Youth with significant barriers to housing stability, such as one or more convictions, a history of foster care, involvement with the juvenile justice or criminal justice system, and/or have a serious mental illness and/or a child or adolescent with serious emotional disturbance and/or who have been victims of trafficking or domestic violence.