New statewide investments in supportive housing will help thousands of Washingtonians whose chronic homelessness is rooted in physical, mental or behavioral health conditions.
But like so many investments in efforts to tackle homelessness, backers say funding for the new Apple Health and Homes program will only begin to address the problem. As state officials begin doling out the $300 million earmarked for permanent-supportive housing for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents, they should choose turnkey projects that will do the greatest good while planning for long-term needs.
Apple Health and Homes builds on the Foundational Community Supports program, which funds supportive housing and employment services for Medicaid-eligible people who have experienced chronic homelessness and have complex health or behavioral health conditions. But while that program has funded services, it has not included physical housing. This new investment in rapid acquisition of permanent supportive housing units adds the missing piece.
As Rep. Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, prime sponsor of House Bill 1866, which established the program, says, “If you are homeless because of your medical condition, you should have a home as part of your medical treatment.”
This new approach has been endorsed by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority and dozens of state and local organizations working at the intersection of health and homelessness. Chopp said he’s already heard of proposals from local agencies in Yakima, Vancouver and Tacoma, with more on the way.
Chopp estimates this initial investment will fund around 2,000 units of supportive housing across the state. Funds will be managed by the state Department of Commerce, which will distribute them through a competitive process and report progress on a public dashboard that includes the number of housing units created and number of people served.
This transparency will be critical in monitoring the state’s historic investment, which will only begin to address the need for supportive housing. To date, more than 20,000 people have enrolled in Foundational Community Supports, according to the Washington State Health Care Authority.
That doesn’t diminish the importance of this new program, but it does put the investment in perspective. When it comes to ending chronic homelessness, Washington still has a long way to go.