Funding Supportive Housing --- States, the Feds, Counties & Municipalities

• The "LEGAL RESPONSIBLITY" for funding disability housing for those people with disabilities that are institutionalized or at great risk of institutionalization ---- rests with the STATE under Olmstead.
• Why are the COUNTIES & MUNICPALITIES --- willing to fund SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ?
  • ​The Counties and Municipalities are often bearing the BRUNT of the cost of HOMELESS people in their communities and people who are JUSTICE-INVOLVED.
  • This goes a long way towards explaining why STATES have been so slow to fund SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO SCALE ---
    • ​By and large, it's NOT the STATES that are bearing the COST of FAILURE to fund SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ---it's COUNTIES and MUNICIPALITIES.
    • That's why it's the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES that is behind the STEPPING UP INITIATIVE to get people with MENTAL ILLNESS out of COUNTY JAILS.

 

• The TRUTH is a lot of funding for DISABILITY HOUSING comes from the FEDS --- BUT ---
  • ​it is NOT an ENTITLEMENT like MEDICAID and it doesn't cover the NEED.
  • the STATE provides some funding to SUPPLEMENT the FEDS --- BUT THAT DOESN'T COVER THE NEED --
    • ​And it's the STATES with the LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY to COVER the NEED for DISABILTY HOUSING & SERVICES or have a COMPREHENSIVE, EFFECTIVELY WORKING PLAN TO SO.

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• Further,  these CONVOLUTED FUNDING SCHEMES and MISMATCHED INCENTIVES are not providing ACCOUNTABILITY to people with DISABILITIES who are institutionalized or at great risk of institutionalization.
  • ​I'm not saying that Counties and Municipalities shouldn't fund SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, BUT
  • When people with DISABILITIES start insisting on SUPPORTIVE HOUSING as their right --- it also brings to a head these MESSY FUNDING SCHEMES.

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• Most people with disabilities don't care who FUNDS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING so long as it is there when they need it --- BUT that is just not the case for THOUSANDS of COLORADANS --- it's also true for approximately 1 MILLION AMERICANS with disabilities across the country.
• If we start moving those HOMELESS & JUSTICE-INVOLVED PEOPLE to Medicaid Nursing Homes --- I bet the FEDS & STATES will find some HOUSING VOUCHERS.