States Freed to Use Medicaid Money for Housing

This will be a part of the new Michigan Medicaid waiver if all goes well....
http://goo.gl/zyDA62

(T)he Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) told state Medicaid offices around the country that Medicaid dollars, usually reserved for clinical services and medications, could be used to help chronically homeless people and others with long-term disabilities to find and maintain permanent housing.

That means a fresh source of funds for everything from helping homeless people apply for housing and understand the terms of their lease to teaching them how to get along with neighbors and make healthy food choices.

The CMS policy statement comes as many states continue to struggle with large homeless populations. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)reported Thursday that while the overall number of homeless in the U.S. dropped by 2 percent, or by 11,742 people, this year over last, it increased in 17 states. New York had the largest increase, of 7,660 people, followed by California with 1,786 more homeless.