Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the “Housing Alignment and Coordination of Critical and Effective Supportive Health Services (Housing ACCESS) Act” (S.2932) on September 26. The NLIHC-supported legislation would strategically align Medicaid housing-related services with federal housing resources to coordinate programs and supports for Medicaid beneficiaries experiencing chronic homelessness. The bill would increase access to supportive housing, an evidence-based model that helps individuals with disabilities and complex behavioral and physical health conditions maintain housing stability and thrive in their communities.
A lack of coordination among federal and state agencies that administer housing and services limits access to supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness. The Housing ACCESS Act would streamline partnerships and align resources among providers who serve people experiencing homelessness, ensuring that individuals have access to safe, affordable housing and wraparound services and supports.
The Housing ACCESS Act would integrate care across the agencies and address the barriers that providers face when seeking Medicaid reimbursement for housing-related services and support. The bill would direct the Secretaries of HUD, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to issue joint guidance to state Medicaid agencies on how to connect Medicaid beneficiaries to housing-related services and require HHS to conduct a study of the national cost of housing-related services and supports.
Read Senator Markey’s press release at: https://tinyurl.com/mry9twxd
Read the bill text at: https://tinyurl.com/44cxrbp4