Health, Housing & Older Adults
State and Federal Policy and Opportunities
Meghan D. Masera, Esq.
Director of Policy, Housing and HCBS
What’s New in Housing Plus Services
Policy
SJR 11: Housing With Services
Resolution
Duals Demonstration: Cal
MediConnect
Section 202 Rental Assistance
Demonstration
SJR 11 - Housing with Services Resolution
• Calls on Congress to
support housing with
services models
• Supports collaboration
between HUD and CMS
• Encourages reduction of
silos and sharing of cost
savings
Coordinated Care Initiative: Cal MediConnect
• Will integrate delivery of
medical, behavioral, and
long-term care services
• Three-Year Demonstration
in eight counties
• Managed Medi-Cal Long
Term Supports and Services
Section 202 Rental Assistance Demonstration
• Rental assistance only
• Funding layered on existing
buildings
• Approximately $40 million
available
• Operated in accordance with
and determined by state
healthcare priorities
Policy Opportunities
California Policy Opportunities
• SB 391: Permanent funding source for
affordable housing
• AB 1929: Further development of permanent
supportive housing for homeless with mental
illness by authorizing counties to deposit
Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funds with
CalHFA.
Federal Policy Opportunities
• S. 1562 and H.R.
4122: Renew and
improve the
Older Americans
Act
Policy Ideas
• Amend DSS licensing provisions to allow for an
expansion of unlicensed independent long-term
care.
• Support provisions of the ACA to expand
Medicaid coverage of home- and communitybased services.
• Support increased funding to Social Services
Block Grants
Policy Ideas
• Expand the 202 Demonstration Program
• Reinstate 202 funding for the development of new
affordable housing units
• Renew and expand service coordinator grants
• Comprehensive interagency policy strategy from HUD
and DHHS
• Utilize realized health care cost savings from housing
plus services models for funding of new affordable
housing
In the meantime…
• Continue to build and improve partnerships
between housing providers and healthcare
providers in your community.
Contact
Meghan Masera
mmasera@aging.org
(916) 469-3372