NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Program
Information for NJ housing providers looking to offer Medicaid-covered services for their clients
What is the NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Program?
The NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Program is a new initiative to help individuals with Medicaid and insecure housing to find and keep housing – because we know housing is a critical social determinant of health.
Eligible Medicaid members can receive assistance finding, moving into, and maintaining housing, as well as repairing or modifying their home to ensure their health and safety.
The Housing Supports Program is made possible through New Jersey’s Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver. The state Division of Medical Assistance and Human Services (DMAHS) runs the program, and services will start to be delivered in 2025.
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Resources
Funding opportunity: NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Provider Readiness Grant
Deadline to apply — December 16, 2024
The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the Division of Medical Assistance and Human Services (DMAHS) are partnering to fund potential NJ FamilyCare housing supports providers (e.g., CBOs, shelters, supportive housing organizations, case management organizations, home modification/remediation providers), to: incentivize Housing Supports Program readiness and cover startup costs (e.g., Medicaid enrollment, MCO contracting, building new IT systems capabilities, attending trainings), and provide seed capital to help pay for new staff – both administrative and frontline service providers – as well as necessary IT and billing systems. Readiness Grant applicants must submit a letter(s) of intent (LOI) with one or more MCOs when applying for a Readiness Grant. Contact one or more of the MCOs listed on the informational flyer to request an LOI.
Download the NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Providers Readiness Grants flyer
Tool: New Jersey Housing Supports Program provider readiness assessment
Organizations can use this tool from the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) to assess their readiness to become a NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Program provider – in the areas of administrative practices, data and reporting, and service provision.
Tool: Simple budget forecasting tool
Organizations can use this tool from the Minnesota Housing Stabilization Services Technical Assistance Team to calculate revenue projections related to providing NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Program services.
Document: Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) Services Protocol
The HRSN services protocol contains federally-approved details on member eligibility criteria, how eligible members will be identified, specific services allowed under the Housing Supports program, and more.
The Housing Supports program is one of three HRSN programs NJ is implementing, along with the MLTSS Nutritional Supports and the Medically Indicated Meals Pilot programs, and this document includes information on all of them.
Past webinars
NJ Medicaid Housing Supports office hours – Readiness and budgeting – 12/5/24
This technical assistance office hours webinar was held to review the tools introduced in the “Fiscal Management in a Medicaid Environment” training for housing providers interested in the NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Program.
During this session, we answered questions and provided guidance on the use of the Agency Readiness Assessment and the Housing Supports Program Simple Services Budgeting tool (see above), assisting community based organizations in preparing to address capacity and fiscal issues related to being a Medicaid provider.
NJ Family Care infrastructure supports webinar and grant RFP – 11/26/24
The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) held a mandatory technical assistance session for all organizations applying for its Housing Supports Provider Readiness 2025 request for proposal.
DCA and the Division of Medical Assistance and Human Services (DMAHS) are partnering to fund potential NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Providers (e.g., CBOs, shelters, supportive housing organizations, case management organizations, home modification/remediation providers), to:
- Incentivize Housing Supports program readiness and cover startup costs (e.g., Medicaid enrollment, MCO contracting, build new IT systems capabilities, attend trainings)
- Provide seed capital to help pay for new staff – both administrative and frontline service providers – as well as necessary IT and billing systems.
The deadline to apply is December 16, 2024.
Fiscal management in a Medicaid environment – 11/21/24
Beginning in 2025, NJ FamilyCare and its five managed care organizations (MCOs) will enter into contracts with community-based organizations (CBOs), including homeless and housing sector providers, to provide eligible NJ FamilyCare members with Housing Supports Program services.
The webinar explored the fiscal and administrative distinctions between operating in a grants-based environment and a Medicaid revenue-generating setting, as well as the strategies and techniques necessary to effectively manage this transition. It was intended for community-based agencies that serve those experiencing homelessness and/or support individuals and families with staying housed. It is recommended that executive and finance leadership from these CBOs review this session.
This presentation from the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) included:
- A framework for planning that assists your organization in transitioning from a grant-based model to a revenue-based model.
- Practical steps and resources to evaluate your organization’s personnel and infrastructure to facilitate this transition.
- Knowledge of resources and supports available to potential Housing Support Program providers
- A common financial and structural planning timeline to efficiently assist in your transition.
Medicaid 101 – 11/7/24
Does your organization help people find, move into, and keep housing? In 2025, the New Jersey FamilyCare (Medicaid) program will offer some housing services to its members. Medicaid will pay housing and other community-based organizations to deliver these services. This new initiative is called the Housing Supports Program (also known as the 1115 Waiver Housing Supports).
If you are interested in becoming a Housing Supports Program provider, you will benefit from knowing more about New Jersey Medicaid. It is recommended that leadership, program and fiscal staff of housing, social service, and case management organizations review this session.
This presentation from the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) included:
- What is Medicaid?
- How does Medicaid work in New Jersey?
- Why is Medicaid paying for housing related services?
- Early lessons learned from Medicaid housing supports programs in other states
- NJ plans for capacity building and technical assistance
- Questions and discussion