Supportive services help people with complex health or behavioral health needs stay housed and live healthy, productive lives. Access to these services is key for preventing homelessness and reducing the use of costly crisis response or institutionalizaiton.

To pay for supportive services, states can use Medicaid waivers or adapt their state Medicaid plans to fund services. In the meantime, legislatures can fund supportive services by appropriating state dollars to create a Supportive Services Transformation Fund (SSTF). The SSTF acts as a funding bridge for non-Medicaid eligible expenses until states change their Medicaid plans. By establishing this funding bridge, states can get people stably housed while quickly reducing the use of costly crisis response and institutional settings. Both Michigan and Nevada have already successfully established a SSTF to fill the services funding gap.