Many communities continue to grapple with pressing challenges related to affordable/supportive housing and equitable healthcare access. This workshop will aim to share lessons learned from both California and Washington, D.C. efforts to increase the access to supportive housing as well as  health and wellness-focused resident services.

In Washington, D.C. a novel partnership was created between Medicaid health plans and multi-family affordable housing providers, who came together around an interest to provide health and wellness-focused resident services, at developments across the city. Community Health Workers (CHWs) from a new organization, called Ounce of Care, engage residents, by hosting health promotion events at properties. The workshop will share how Ounce created a viable linkage between health plans and housing providers, using its financing model, engaged partners, and how residents of multi-family (LIHTC) properties, where services are often required as part of their development and operations, are benefiting from wellness-focused services.

By leveraging CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) reimbursements, affordable and supportive housing providers can secure a stable revenue stream essential for the financial viability and expansion of supportive housing units. Join in with a managed care provider and a permanent supportive housing provider to identify how to maximize services for people with histories of homelessness and chart new approaches to providing sustainable supportive services for residents. The housing provider will also highlight an innovative Sustainability Model pilot which seeks to establish a sustainable framework for managed healthcare plans to fund supportive services in housing developments statewide.