What is the Rapid Transition Housing Program?
The Rapid Transition Housing Program (RTHP) provides a rental subsidy for high-cost, high-need Medicaid members. This rental subsidy is intended to help individuals who are homeless high-utilizer by a hospital, managed care organization, medical respite, performing provider system, or skilled nursing facility.
RTHP ensures that people with disabilities can afford accessible, safe, sanitary, and sustainable housing in the community. Under RTHP, each participant is assigned a Housing Specialist (HS) and Independent Living Specialist (ILS) who assist in locating and subsidizing housing, as well as help get needed services and supports in place to ensure success in their new home. RTHP also assists with community transitional services, which include security deposits, moving expenses, utility payments, and household establishment purchases.
RTHP Requirements
In order to qualify, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Be enrolled in Medicaid and have one or more documented chronic physical disabilities, and have two or more chronic conditions (e.g., asthma, diabetes)
- Be referred as a homeless highutilizer* by a hospital, managed care organization, medical respite, performing provider system, or skilled nursing facility.
*Defined as:
- Having two or more inpatient stays in the past 12 months; or
- Having five or more emergency department (ED) visits in the past 12 months; or
- Be within the top 20% of Medicaid recipients’ spending relative to the county of fiscal responsibility and target populations parameters (e.g., an asthma recipient in Westchester has base period spending of more than 80% of the asthma Medicaid population in that county).
For more information on the RTHP program, please contact Aba Egyin, Director of NYAIL Housing Subsidy Programs at CIDNY at 347-335-2590 or aegyin@cidny.org, or Bathsheba Davis, Manager/Rapid Transition Housing Program at 929-498-3765 or bdavis@cidny.org.