Housing is a hard cost for many American families to manage, especially individuals that are low-income. If you are a person or know a person that is financially struggling to manage housing expenses and might be going through homelessness, then it is important to understand available support options. This is where supportive housing plays a role. Many individuals do not even know that this housing support option exists! This is why it is important to understand what supportive housing is and how you can make the most of it!

Supportive Housing: A Definition

Before you dig deep into the advantages of supportive housing, you want to know what supportive housing means and the different types. Individuals that are going through certain situations will need different forms of support.

Characteristics of Supportive Housing

There has been evidence of just how effective supportive housing can assist people who need it. This is because it features characteristics that can assist individuals. Some traits of supportive housing include:

• Durability and Affordability
• Integration
• Highlighting on Choice
• Fewer Requirements to Receive Benefits

Durability and Affordability

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets a definition of affordable housing as spending no more than 30% of a person’s income. That means that renters of supportive housing will generally pay at most 30% of their income on their housing costs with this type of housing opportunity.

Integration

The main idea of this housing assistance option is to assist people to reach long-term housing security. This is why people that stay in this supportive housing should have access to necessary services such as:

• Provider offices
• Public transportation services
• Parks
• Grocery stores
• Other services of the neighborhood that other citizens can access

Highlighting on Choice

Supportive housing is meant to support independence. This means that it highlights the power of choice. That would include giving the people the choice to come and go as they please, and they have the choice to arrange their daily schedules.

Fewer Requirements to Receive Benefits

When individuals are receiving supportive housing, they can assume to deal with few requirements. This is because individuals that are not in great positions, such as people with criminal backgrounds or bad credit, are the people that supportive housing focuses on helping. Fortunately, this means that there are generally no “blanket bans.” But it’s important to keep in mind that if you are a person with a violent history and problems in supportive housing, then you might find it a challenge to receive this kind of housing support.

Different Forms of Supportive Housing

When it comes to supportive housing, there are several forms available that you might face. Four common forms of supportive housing include:

• Emergency Shelters
• Transitional Shelters
• Rapid Re-Housing (RRH)
• Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

Emergency Shelters

When a family is going through a crisis, this must be one of the first places that they consider. Emergency shelters are resources that offer individuals support services to help them reach some short-term stability. The amount of time that an individual can reside in their shelter will vary according to the shelter’s rules. One of the main aims of emergency shelters is to assist people who need to find housing and work side by side with their long-term needs.

Transitional Shelters

Another supportive housing shelter is a transitional shelter. Transitional shelters offer a longer term temporary housing option for people who need it. Generally, individuals could stay in this housing option for between six to 24 months. It was created to assist people that are going through homelessness. One of the advantages of these shelters is the fact that they typically come with supportive services that can assist people in their careers, personal life, and so on.

Rapid Re-Housing (RRH)

When people need housing fast, Rapid Re-Housing is a great option to think about. That is because this form of housing support is a “housing first solution.” It was created to assist people who do not generally go through homelessness (or non-chronic homelessness). Individuals that gain from this support option can rent a housing unit of their own and benefit from temporary community support services. The aim is to provide an individual or household with a fast solution to their homeless problem.

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

PSH is a housing intervention option that can assist people that are chronically homeless. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) set a definition of a person that is chronically homeless as a person who either lives in at least one of the following conditions:

• Locations that are uninhabitable or unfit for humans to live in (for a minimum of 12 months)
• Safe Havens (for a minimum of 12 months)
• Emergency Shelters (for a minimum of 12 months)
• Institutional Care Facilities (for no more than 90 days and lived in any of the options mentioned above before going into the facility.)

Many individuals that gain from PSH have disabilities. Unfortunately, many homeless people that have physical and/or mental disabilities require this type of long-term support to help them. This is why PSH offers intensive support services with secure and stable housing. Similar to Rapid Re-Housing, PSH is another form of “housing first solution.” It highlights the recovery of people and works on getting them into independent or permanent housing as soon as possible while offering supportive services.

Advantages of Supportive Housing

Many advantages come with supportive housing. This is because supportive housing can generally offer services to those who need it. Two main advantages come with supportive housing services, which are:

• Housing Support Services
• Personal Support Services

Housing Support Services

It should not be a surprise that supportive housing includes housing support services. People who get this type of relief can gain support from service providers. Service providers can assist tenants through:

• Helping renters look for safe, stable, and appropriate housing options
• Assisting renters to cultivate good relationships with their landlord
• Offering education on the renter’s duties and rights as tenants
• Conducting interventions to avoid evictions

Personal Support Services

Service providers can offer a wide range of support to the health needs of people in supportive housing. This includes:

• Assisting renters manage their mental health and physical health
• Offering support to renters that deal with substance abuse
• Guiding individuals that are applying for government assistance such as Social Security benefits
• Helping renters find employment opportunities

Other Options for Supportive Housing

Other than supportive housing, there are other housing assistance programs out there that can help you. The federal government and private landlords offer some of these opportunities. These opportunities include the following:

• Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)
• Mixed-Income Housing

Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)

One of the most common housing support programs in the United States is Section 8. This program is from the HUD, but it differs based on the locality. Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) are responsible for managing the program. Section 8 offers housing vouchers that recipients can use to provide coverage of housing expenses. The HUD defines affordable housing as spending no more than 30% of a person’s monthly income on housing costs. If a family or individual spends more than 30% of their income on housing, then the HUD considers them “cost-burdened.”

Not every property can allow these housing vouchers as a type of payment. Even the places that allow these vouchers cannot just accept renters with the property in any condition. The properties need to pass home inspections that your local PHA is responsible for conducting. This is because the local PHAs want to ensure that recipients will stay in a safe, decent, and clean home. If you have more questions or want to apply, then you should contact your local PHA.

Mixed-Income Housing

Mixed-income housing is a form of affordable housing that is not available from the government. Instead, private landlords provide this housing option in exchange for an incentive through a tax credit if they provide housing units at an affordable rate. This is why it is called mixed-income housing because there will be a mix of income that stays in one building. The rental price for these units varies based on the building. Some buildings will offer a standard rent price at a discounted rate while others determine the price based on a renter’s income.

The Final Verdict

When people are facing housing trouble or going through homelessness, there are many more housing support options than they think. One specific option is supportive housing. Supportive housing can show up in many forms, including:

• Emergency Shelters
• Transitional Shelters
• Rapid Re-Housing (RRH)
• Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

Each housing opportunity assists people in its own way. Some of the advantages that individuals can receive are through service providers that offer:

• Housing Support Services
• Personal Support Services

Other than supportive housing, there are other housing assistance options to think about. Other housing support options include:

• Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)
• Mixed-Income Housing

If you want to know more about different housing support options, then we suggest you contact your local PHA. They will have all the information you need on the different housing support options available out there!