Rapid Transition Housing Program (RTHP)

Grants to New York nonprofit organizations and governmental entities for rental assistance and housing services in Nassau ad Suffolk Counties, Onondaga County, or an unserved area. Funding is intended to provide supportive housing for individuals with disabilities .

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Office of Health Insurance Programs (OHIP), Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) Initiative announces the availability of State funds to re-procure and expand a rental subsidy and supportive housing services program for high-cost, high-need Medicaid members. This program was previously known as Nursing Home to Independent Living (NHIL), and is now titled Rapid Transition Housing Program (RTHP).

The funded projects will: 1) Maintain and create new rental subsidies and supportive housing services for existing program participants, currently located in Onondaga County and in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, or establish a rental subsidy program in a new area of the state that is currently unserved; and 2) Develop and implement a system to provide rental subsidies on behalf of participants and provide supportive housing services to participants in order to sustain their ability to live in the community.

Awarded providers must work with hospitals, Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), medical respites, Performing Provider Systems (PPSs) or Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) to move homeless high-utilizers of Medicaid into supportive housing and provide rental subsidies, community transitional services (CTS), benefit enrollment, life skills, tenancy services and other services necessary to encourage successful community living.

A provider may apply to administer the program under only one of the following arrangements (must pick one):
1. One of the established areas or one new area (i.e. applicant is only applying for Long Island);
2. One of the established areas and one new area (i.e. applicant is applying for Long Island and Erie County);
3. Both established areas and up to one new area (i.e. applicant applies for Long Island, Onondaga County and an additional one area that is currently not served).

Awarded applicants will continue current rental subsidies established under the current awards for participants currently in the program. This procurement will also expand the current number of rental subsidies with additional funding. There will be one additional location added to this program that is currently not served.

Table 1:
- Counties Served: Nassau and Suffolk Counties; Number of Rental Subsidies: 102
- Counties Served: Onondaga County; Number of Rental Subsidies: 125
- Total: 227

Participants include those currently enrolled in the program or individuals with one or more documented chronic physical disabilities that also have two or more chronic conditions (e.g., asthma, diabetes, substance abuse disorder (SUD)). Participants in the program must be on Medicaid and either coming from a SNF or homeless and identified as a high-utilizer by a hospital, MCO, medical respite, or PPS. This program will serve eligible single adults age 18 and older, and may also include families with minors under the age of 18 years old. Eligible participants who are awaiting an organ transplant, and are in need of emergency housing to meet waitlist requirements, must be given priority for housing.