HUD-HHS Collaboration: Improving the Link between Housing and Services

The following Information Bulletin is a FYI. As many of you know, historically the federal departments of HUD and HHS each operated as if the other did not exist and as if each had no impact on the other.

We in the trenches knew that there were many people in institutions solely because they could not afford housing. We knew how each department impacted on each other, and how their noncooperation adversely impacted on peoples' ADA right to live in an integrated community.

What follows is "as of" March 2010. It is not final, not yet funded, and obviously not yet implemented. However, we thought you should be aware of the direction the collaboration between HUD and HHS is taking. We do not know the timing or details of the following proposals, nor can we predict if any of the proposals will become reality, but nevertheless think you should be aware of what's going on.

The two federal departments are proposing the following with regards to "Community Living (aging & disability):

"Transitioning to the Community: Reducing Barriers to Accessible and
Affordable Housing ($180 million from HHS for 2-year bridge housing to
assist persons leave institutions for the community)
"Creating Housing and Services Resource Coordinators and Community
Living Specialists ($4.5 million from HHS/CMS to provide PHA level
service coordinators, and city/state level housing-service coordinators
for elderly persons and persons with disabilities)
"Increasing Capacity building to Improve Services and Access to
Affordable Housing. ($2.5 million from HHS for TA to assist PHAs link
with Long Term Care supports- NOFA about to be released)
"Improving the Delivery of Community Living Services by Establishing a
"No Wrong Door" system ($20 million from HHS to devise consumer
friendly intake linking housing and human service programs)
"Encouraging Workforce Development ($4 million from HHS/HRSA to train
HUD residents/recipients to be direct care workers).
"Improving coordination between HHS Civil Rights Office and HUD's Fair
Housing Office as it relates to Olmsted oversight."

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects. To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com or call 215-627-7100.