New Supportive Housing Program
Today DBHDD will issue a "notice to proceed" that will committ the new Housing Support dollars to 100 clients identified as needing supportive housing. It is the beginning of the new program that will grow to 2000 units in FY 2015. The persons recieving this support will be within the Settlement's targeted population.
The process used for this first allocation included a request to the Department's Residential Services providers to identify persons in their intensive residential programs who could live more independently in housing in the community. It is expected that this will create capacity in the more intensive programs for persons moving from institutions. The funds to begin the program were appropriated by the recently concluded General Assembly in the supplemental 2011 budget and must be committed by July 1 of this year. The allocation process may not be the same going forward but it meets the need to move quickly on the expenditure of the funds. This program will help to satisfy the first bench mark in the Settlement.
Congratulations to DBHDD on getting this program rolling quickly.
-- Paul Bolster, Georgia Supportive Housing Association
We think it is very important for as much housing as possible to be available to people coming out of the institutions and to those who are at significant risk. It will be helpful to gain a better understanding of how the "freeing up" of housing for people leaving the institutions will work. Also, it will be important to move toward a process where individuals moving out the institutions can access the FY 12 DOJ Settlement subsidized housing with services. As we move toward FY 2012 housing, it will be important for there to be an advisory group consisting of advocates, self-advocates, providers, and other stakeholders on housing. We all need to work together to try to access as much new housing as possible and to ensure that the process works as well as possible for people with the greatest need.
ReplyDelete