Housing provides a fundamental level of stability for young people to achieve their goals of wellness, recovery, and eventual self-sufficiency. The lack of safe and affordable housing options is often a profound barrier for SED/SPMI TAY who needs access to these basic supports for recovery. The Project-Based Operational Subsidy funds provide subsidies for Unit-based Permanent Supportive Housing programs and “Youth-Oriented” board and care-type (non-licensed) programs to address the long-term housing needs of SED/SPMI TAY who are eligible for Full Service Partnerships (FSP) and others coming directly from transitional housing programs or directly from foster care or group homes.
The Project-Based Operating Subsidy targets youth who, with sufficient support, could live independently in community settings. Supportive mental health and other services will be made available for youth who are:
- High-risk (transitioning out of long-term institutional settings)
- Moderate-risk (often homeless but are actively engaged on the streets)
- Low-risk (generally high-functioning in their recovery and may be working or going to school)
The advantage of these long-term investments is that when a unit is vacated by a youth, the unit remains available for occupancy by other TAY with similar mental health needs. The operational subsidy stays with the unit, not with the individual, and thereby insures a permanent supply of housing for this hard-to-place population. Moreover, the rents remain stable (affordable) over decades since the apartments are not in the competitive private real estate market.
For more information, please call Terri Boykins (213) 738-2408
