Federal Funding for Programs for People Who Are Experiencing Homelessness or At Risk of Becoming Homeless

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Shelter Plus Care (S+C)
Shelter Plus Care provides rental assistance combined with social service supports for people who are homeless and have a disability, particularly those people with serious mental illness, chronic alcohol and/or drug problems, and AIDS or related diseases, and their families.  S+C funds a variety of housing options such as apartments, group homes and individual units for those who do not have families.  S+C grants require that support services be offered in conjunction with the housing; however, the community must secure funding from sources other than S+C to fund the support services.  In addition, these support services must be of at least equal value to the rental assistance provided by HUD through the S+C grant.  

Funds provided by S+C are allocated for the following four types of housing assistance:

• Tenant-Based Rental Assistance that contracts directly with the tenants who qualify as low-income.
• Project-Based Rental Assistance that contracts directly with the building owner.
• Sponsor-Based Rental Assistance that contracts with a nonprofit organization.
• Single Room Occupancy (SRO)-Based Rental Assistance that contracts with a public housing authority.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/splusc/index.

• Homelessness homepage

• Homelessness: Reviewing the Facts

• Fact Sheet on Children and Homelessness

• Ending Homelessness
  for People With Mental Illnesses and Co-Occurring Disorders

• Homelessness Programs Operated by Affiliates

• Links to Information on Homelessness

The Supportive Housing Program (SHP)
SHP provides supportive housing and support services to people who are homeless.  SHP funds can be used to create transitional housing, implement permanent supportive housing for people with disabilities, and provide support services that are not offered in conjunction with SHP-funded housing. 

Some activities that can be funded through SHP include: acquisition, rehabilitation, construction or leasing of structures that can be used for supportive housing, operating costs of supportive housing and support services.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/shp/index.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov/nofa/supernofa/sprprt41.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/sro/index.

Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) receive federal funds from HUD to administer the Housing Choice Vouchers.  Once a family has found suitable housing, the owner agrees to rent under the program, and the PHA approves the housing according to its health and safety standards, the PHA pays the housing subsidy directly to the landlord.  The family is responsible for covering the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the subsidy. 

Housing Choice Voucher eligibility is determined by individual PHAs based on family income, assets and family composition.   

For more information, visit www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/index.

HOME allows communities to design and implement housing options tailored to community needs; emphasizes partnerships among all levels of government and private sectors; and offers technical assistance activities.  The HOME program requires grant recipients to match 25 cents of every dollar in program funds to mobilize community resources in support of affordable housing.

Eligibility for the HOME program varies with the nature of the funded activity.  Assistance is based on the HUD-adjusted median family income for the specific localities.  HUD develops the income limits.  The lower income limit is set at 80 percent and the very low-income limit is set at 50 percent of the median income.     

For more information, visit www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/programs/home/index.

HAs determine public housing eligibility based on:

• Annual gross income
• Qualification as a family, an older adult or a person with a disability
• U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status

For more information: visit www.hud.gov/renting/phprog.cfm.

HUD's Section 8 Voucher Program has designated 1,780 vouchers worth $44.5 million for this harder-to-serve population.  VA staff at 35 sites provide outreach, clinical care and ongoing case management services.  Rigorous evaluation of this program indicates that this approach significantly reduces days of homelessness for veterans with serious mental illness and substance use disorders.

Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Programs

Homeless Programs Branch
The Homeless Programs Branch serves the treatment, support services and housing needs of people who are homeless and have mental illnesses.  The branch administers programs to assist states and localities in making services available such as mental health treatment, medical treatment, substance abuse treatment and legal assistance as part of transition efforts from homelessness.

For more information, visit www.mentalhealth.org/publications/allpubs/KEN95-0015/default.asp.

PATH funds can be used by providers to offer essential services such as outreach, screening and diagnostic treatment, community mental health services, case management, alcohol or drug treatment, habilitation or rehabilitation, supportive and supervisory services in residential settings, and referrals to other needed services.  In addition, the funding may be used to fund limited housing assistance such as minor renovations and repairs to existing housing or one-time rental payments to prevent eviction. 

For more information, visit www.mentalhealth.org/cmhs/Homelessness/about.asp

National Mental Health Association
2000 N. Beauregard Street, 6th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
Phone 703/684-7722
Fax 703/684-5968
Mental Health Resource Center 800/969-NMHA
TTY Line 800/433-5959