The Washington State Department of Commerce announced a new $20.8 million grant to 81 nonprofits that provide permanent housing units and services to the state’s most vulnerable people. The funds will be used to operate and maintain 3,135 permanent housing units statewide, as well as providing essential support services to help people with life-altering disabilities survive and thrive.
“Permanent supportive housing is critically important for people who are often at risk of homelessness and have serious physical and behavioral health conditions that threaten their viability,” said Commerce Director Lisa Brown. “There is still much more work to be done, but we hope that Congress will raise more funds this past session to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community have safe places to access the services they need. Thank you for providing the.”
These Permanent Supportive Housing Grants will be funded by an expanded documentation fee passed during the 2021 Legislative Session (ESSHB 1277). Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is subsidized rental housing with unlimited length of stay that prioritizes people who need comprehensive support services to stay in housing. Service providers combine residential and on-site or off-site volunteer services to support people with disabilities who have complex behavioral or physical health conditions. These individuals are often experiencing homelessness or are in imminent danger of becoming homeless. In addition, permanent supportive housing focuses on improving the health of residents and connecting them with community-based health care, treatment and employment services.
The grant provides providers with gap funding between what they receive in rent subsidies from individuals residing in the unit and the cost of maintaining and operating the building. Reimbursement for the cost of assistance services provided to residents is also available. Only projects that meet established permanent supportive housing standards are eligible for grants.
The $20.8 million in grants announced today builds on $19.5 million in ongoing funding to providers statewide, supporting an additional 3,149 residential units. The total $40.3 million awarded by Commerce to date will provide 6,284 permanent supportive housing units statewide. For information on how the Housing Trust Fund Program funds operations and maintenance, please visit the Commerce website.
This press release was provided by the Washington State Department of Commerce.
