What is HSS?
Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) is a Medical Assistance benefit to help people with disabilities and seniors find and keep housing. HSS services are state plan (not waiver) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS).
The following services are billable as HSS:
Housing Consultation
People who do not have waiver or targeted case management or a MSHO/MSC+ care coordinator, but need Housing Stabilization Services, can complete the person-centered planning needed through an enrolled housing consultant. Enrolled housing consultants help a person develop a Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan (DHS-7307) and support the person to select their housing transition or sustaining provider. This service must be distinct from all other services and not duplicate other services or assistance available to the person.
Covered Services:
- Assisting the person to access documentation required for Housing Stabilization Services eligibility
- Developing a Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan based on assessment outcomes
- Supporting the person in identifying their strengths, needs and wants in housing including cultural requirements and/or preferences
- Supporting the person to make an informed choice in their housing transition or sustaining provider
- Offering resource information for services that support non-housing related goals as identified in the person-centered planning process
- Coordinating with other service providers currently working with the person
- Helping the person understand their rights to privacy and appeal information
- Annually updating the person-centered plan as it relates to housing
Not Covered Services:
- Housing-Focused Person-Centered Plans if the person has a Medicaid-funded case manager or MSHO/MSC+ care coordinator or is found ineligible for Housing Stabilization Services by DHS during the eligibility review process
- No-show appointments
- Documentation and verification gathering after the Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan’s completion
- Assessments
Housing Transition
Services that assist a person to plan for, find, and move to a home in the community.
Covered Services:
- Developing a housing transition plan*
- Supporting the person in applying for benefits to afford their housing, including helping the person determine which benefits they may be eligible for*
- Assisting the person with the housing search and application process*
- Assisting the person with tenant screening and housing assessments*
- Providing transportation with the person receiving services present and discussing housing related issues
- Helping the person understand and develop a budget
- Helping the person understand and negotiate a lease
- Helping the person meet and build a relationship with a prospective landlord
- Promoting/supporting cultural practice needs and understandings with prospective landlords, property managers*
- Helping the person find funding for deposits*
- Helping the person organize their move*
- Researching possible housing options for the person*
- Contacting possible housing options for the person*
- Identifying resources to pay for deposits or home goods *
- Identifying resources to cover moving expenses*
- Completing housing applications on behalf of the service recipient*
- Working to expunge records or access reasonable accommodations*
- Identifying services and benefits that will support the person with housing instability*
- Ensuring the new living arrangement is safe for the person and ready for move-in*
- Arranging for adaptive house related accommodations required by the person*
- Arranging for assistive technology required by the person*
*Activity can be provided directly (in person or remotely working directly with the person) or indirectly on behalf of the person.
Not Covered Services:
- Room and Board (including moving expenses)
- Deposits
- Food
- Furnishings
- Rent
- Utilities
- No-show appointments
- Staff travel time with a person not in the vehicle or the person is in the vehicle but Housing Stabilization Services is not discussed
- Direct or indirect services provision in a group setting
- Transition services from institutions if a person dies before discharge or transition services exceed 180 days
- Physically touring housing located outside of Minnesota
Housing Sustaining
Services that supports a person to maintain living in their home in the community.
Covered Services:
- Developing, updating and modifying the housing support and crisis/safety plan on a regular basis*
- Preventing and early identification of behaviors that may jeopardize continued housing
- Educating and training on roles, rights, and responsibilities of the tenant and property manager
- Transportation with the person receiving services present and discussing housing related issues
- Promoting/supporting cultural practice needs and understandings with landlords, property managers and neighbors*
- Coaching to develop and maintain key relationships with property managers and neighbors
- Advocating with community resources to prevent eviction when housing is at risk and maintain person’s safety*
- Assistance with the housing recertification processes*
- Continued training on being a good tenant, lease compliance, and household management
- Supporting the person to apply for benefits to retain housing*
- Supporting the person to understand and maintain/increase income and benefits to retain housing*
- Supporting the building of natural housing supports and resources in the community including building supports and resources related to a person’s culture and identity
- Working with property manager or landlord to promote housing retention*
- Arranging for assistive technology*
- Arranging for adaptive house related accommodations.*
*Activity can be provided directly (in person or remotely working directly with the person) or indirectly on behalf of the person.
Not Covered Services:
- Room and Board (including moving expenses)
- Deposits
- Food
- Furnishings
- Rent
- Utilities
- No-show appointments
- Staff travel time with a person not in the vehicle
- Direct or indirect services provision in a group setting
- Services provided outside of Minnesota
Who can provide HSS services?
To be eligible to provide, bill and be paid by Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) for Housing Consultation, Housing Transition and Housing Sustaining services under Housing Stabilization Services, providers must meet the requirements and submit the forms listed on the Housing Stabilization Services Enrollment Criteria and Forms provider enrollment webpage.
Who is eligible to receive HSS services?
A member is eligible for housing stabilization services if they meet all of the following needs-based criteria:
- Be on Medical Assistance (MA)
- Be 18 years old or older
- Have a documented disability or disabling condition, defined as one of the following:
- A person who is aged, blind or has a disability as described under Title II of the Social Security Act.
- A person with an injury or illness that is expected to cause extended or long-term incapacitation.
- A person with a developmental disability (or related condition) or mental illness.
- A person with a mental health condition, substance use disorder or physical injury that required a residential level of care and who is now in the process of transitioning to the community.
- A person who is determined to have a learning disability according to policy adopted by Department of Human Services (DHS); or
- A person with a substance use disorder and is enrolled in a treatment program or is on a waiting list for a treatment program.
- Be assessed to require assistance with at least one of the following areas resulting from the presence of a disability or a long-term or indefinite condition:
- Communication
- Mobility
- Decision-making; or
- Managing challenging behaviors
- Be experiencing housing instability, evidenced by one of the following risk factors:
- Homeless. An individual or family is considered homeless when they lack a fixed, adequate nighttime residence; or
- Currently transitioning, or has recently transitioned, from an institution or licensed or registered setting (registered housing with services facility, board and lodge, boarding care, adult foster care or community residential setting, hospital, Intermediate Care Facility for persons with Developmental Disabilities (ICF/DD), intensive residential treatment services, the Minnesota Security Hospital, nursing facility, regional treatment center); or
- At risk of homelessness. An individual or family is at risk of homelessness when
- a) the individual or family is faced with a situation or set of circumstances likely to cause the household to become homeless, including but not limited to: doubled-up living arrangements where the individual’s name is not on a lease, living in a condemned building without a place to move, having arrears in rent or utility payments, receiving an eviction notice without a place to move or living in temporary or transitional housing that carries time limits; or
- b) the person, previously homeless, will be discharged from a correctional, medical, mental health or substance use disorder treatment center and lacks sufficient resources to pay for housing, and does not have a permanent place to live; would be at risk of homelessness if housing services were removed
- At risk of institutionalization – meets an institutional level of care/eligible for the following waivers:
- Brain Injury (BI)
- Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI)
- Community Alternative Care (CAC)
- Developmental Disability (DD)
- Elderly Waiver (EW)
Steps to HSS Certification
Pay the application fee if you use a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or attach proof that you paid the fee to either Medicare or another state. The payment must be for the same location and to provide the same services. Providers can submit their fees online through the MHCP Provider Screening Fee Collections System. You must pay the fee before applying to MHCP. Note: Housing Sustaining Services providers who own or manage multiple locations where services will be provided must enroll each location separately and pay an application fee for each location. Refer to the MHCP Provider Screening Requirements for information on application fees.
Providers who wish to enroll with MHCP or make enrollment requests can do so in one of the following two ways.
- Register to access the Minnesota Provider Screening and Enrollment (MPSE) portal and complete your enrollment online using the MPSE portal.
or
- Complete the required documents and fax your materials to MHCP Provider Eligibility and Compliance at 651-431-7493.
You must submit the following.
- Housing Stabilization Services Provider Enrollment Application (DHS-8018) (PDF)
- MHCP Provider Agreement Form (DHS-4138) (PDF))
- Disclosure of Ownership and Control Interest of an Entity (DHS-5259) (PDF)
- Home and Community-Based Settings Applicant Assurance Statement (DHS-7618) (PDF)
- Request for Licensing Agency ID Number (DHS-3891) (PDF), (use to submit background studies on all owners and managers). This form must be uploaded separately into the “notes” area of the MPSE portal if enrolling through the portal.
- EFT Vendor Number Notification (DHS-3725) (PDF)
- Review and keep a copy of the MHCP Data Privacy Notice (DHS-6287) (PDF).
Applicable assurance statements to the services you plan to provide:
- Housing Consultation Provider Assurance Statement (DHS-7968) (PDF)
- Housing Transition and Housing Sustaining Provider Assurance Statement (DHS-7967) (PDF)
**Providers MUST complete mandated Housing Consultation training on TrainLink prior to providing services.
Rates/Reimbursement for Services:
- Housing Consultation / T2024 U8 / $174.22 per session
- Housing Transition / H2015 U8 / $17.17 per 15 minute unit (~$68.68 per hour)
- Housing Sustaining / H2015 U8/TS / $17.17 per 15 minute unit (~$68.68 per hour)
Additional Resources:
HSS – Main Resource Linked Page
HSS – Required Provider Training, Enrollment Criteria
Housing Stabilization Services Package
We offer a start-to-finish HSS legal package for those looking to start a Housing Stabilization Services company. To learn more, click the button below!