Weekly Health Care Policy Update – January 23, 2023

January 30, 2023

In this update: 

  • Administration Updates
    • Jeff Zients to Replace Ron Klain as White House Chief of Staff
  • Federal Agencies
    • CMS to Hold Webinar on Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding
    • CMS to Strengthen Oversight of Nursing Home Antipsychotic Use
    • HHS and Other Agencies Issue Proposed Rule on Religious Liberty and Equity
    • HHS OIG Issues Report on Nursing Homes with Extremely High Covid Rates
    • CDC Issues Report on Medical Debt
    • HHS Awards Nearly $245 Million in Mental Health Grants
  • Other Updates
    • MedPAC Holds January Meeting
    • NEJM Publishes Study on Adverse Events in Inpatient Settings
    • Updated SPG Regulatory Waiver Tracker Available
  • New York State Updates
    • Governor Hochul Extends Statewide Disaster Emergency Due to Health Care Staffing Shortages
    • DOH Issues Guidance on Medicaid Reimbursement for LCSWs, LMHCs, and LMFTs
  • Funding Opportunities
    • Elevance Health Foundation Releases Annual RFPs for Mental Health and Substance Use, Maternal and Child Health, and Food as Medicine Programs
    • SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Outreach and Intervention for Youth at High Risk for Psychosis
    • SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health Project
    • SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Treatment and Services for Homeless Individuals
    • SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Adult Treatment, Recovery, and Reentry Services
    • National Council for Mental Wellbeing Releases RFA to Support Community-Based Organizations with Overdose Prevention Efforts
    • OMH Releases RFP Funding for Safe Option Support Critical Intervention Teams
    • OASAS Announces RFP for the Expansion of Substance Use and Misuse Prevention Services
    • HCR Releases RFA for NYS Small Rental Development Initiative
    • NYC ACS Releases RFP for the Provision of Skills Training for Parents with I/DD
    • NYC HRA Releases RFP for the Operation and Maintenance of Permanent Housing for Homeless Individuals

Administration Updates

Jeff Zients to Replace Ron Klain as White House Chief of Staff
On January 22nd, news reports indicated that President Biden will name Jeff Zients as his next White House chief of staff, replacing Ron Klain. The transition is expected to occur in February. Zients has held various roles in the Obama and Biden administrations, including twice serving as the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He was also appointed to fix the rollout of Healthcare.gov, the website for federally-facilitated Affordable Care Act exchanges, after its initial launch difficulties in 2013 and serving as Biden’s White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator from January 2021 through March 2022.

Federal Agencies

CMS to Hold Webinar on Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding
On January 25th, from noon to 1pm, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold the first in a monthly webinar series on the unwinding of the continuous enrollment requirement in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). On the webinar, CMS will discuss topics including: 

  • Guidance from the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) Informational Bulletin released on January 5th, including key dates related to the unwinding of the continuous enrollment requirements; and
  • Resources and messages for partners to help educate people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about the upcoming eligibility renewals.

Registration is available here. Questions may be submitted in advance to partnership@cms.hhs.gov. The CMCS Informational Bulletin can be found here.
 
CMS to Strengthen Oversight of Nursing Home Antipsychotic Use
On January 18th, CMS announced an initiative to reduce inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in nursing home facilities. Beginning in January, CMS will conduct targeted, off-site audits of nursing homes to determine if patients are being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia as a mechanism to administer antipsychotic drugs to sedate them. A government report last year suggested that nursing home facilities are dodging scrutiny around the use of antipsychotics by coding residents as schizophrenic, since residents with schizophrenia are excluded from the “use of antipsychotic medications” indicator used in the Five-Star Quality Measure Rating system on Care Compare.
 
In addition, CMS will begin to publicly display survey citations currently under dispute with nursing homes. Today, when facilities dispute a survey deficiency, that deficiency does not appear on the Care Compare website until the issue is resolved, which can take up to 60 days. This can occur even in instances of severe non-compliance, when patients are at risk of serious injury, harm, impairment, or death. This information will appear on Care Compare beginning January 25th.
 
More information is available here.
 
HHS and Other Agencies Issue Proposed Rule on Religious Liberty and Equity
On January 12th, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and eight other federal agencies jointly issued a proposed rule to clarify religious freedom and equity protections for beneficiaries receiving federally funded social services, and to clarify the rights and obligations of organizations providing such services. The rule responds to several major changes made by the Trump Administration to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, with a goal of promoting maximum participation by beneficiaries and providers in the agencies’ covered programs and activities. The rule proposes: 

  • Requiring social services programs funding by federal funds to notify beneficiaries of their right to be free from discrimination on the basis of religion;
  • Making clear that all covered social service programs, regardless of the means of funding (vouchers or grants), may not discriminate against beneficiaries on the basis of their religion; and
  • Encouraging governmental agencies that fund domestic programs to help beneficiaries identify alternative sources of services who may be more compatible with their beliefs, upon request.

The proposed rule can be found here. Comments may be submitted through March 14th.
 
HHS OIG Issues Report on Nursing Homes with Extremely High Covid Rates
On January 19th, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published a report on the prevalence of Covid-19 in nursing homes during the first year of the pandemic. The report looked at Medicare claims data in 15,086 nursing homes nationwide and identified those with high infection rates during the Covid-19 surges of the spring and fall of 2020. Over 1,300 of the nursing homes had infection rates of 75% or more during the surges of 2020. In these nursing homes, the average overall mortality rates were nearly 20%. This mortality rate is roughly double the rate of other nursing homes during the same period. The baseline mortality rate for nursing homes in 2019 was 6%.
 
OIG notes that for-profit nursing homes made up a disproportionate percentage of the nursing homes in the extremely high infection cohort. Further, the survey process did not identify any deficiencies in infection control for the majority of nursing homes with extremely high infection rates, which may indicate problems in the survey process or in Medicare’s current requirements.
 
The full report is available here.
 
CDC Issues Report on Medical Debt
On January 18th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report, “Problems Paying Medical Bills: United States, 2021” which presents national estimates of the challenges U.S. families face paying medical bills. The authors use data from 2019 through 2021 to estimate short-term trends in problems paying medical bills in the past 12 months. Overall, between 2019 and 2021, the percentage of families having problems paying medical bills decreased from 14% to 10.8%, or 10.5 million fewer people who were in families having problems paying medical bills in 2021 (35.0 million) than in 2019 (45.5 million). The authors note that the unusual levels of government support provided during the Covid-19 pandemic response may have played a role in mitigating problems with paying medical bills.

Other key findings in the report include: 

  • The percentage of people who were in families having problems paying medical bills was higher among non-Hispanic Black people (15.8%) compared with Hispanic (12.8%), non-Hispanic White (9.4%), and non-Hispanic Asian (6.1%) people.
  • In 2021, among children aged 0–17, those with Medicaid and CHIP coverage (15.5%) were as likely as those who were uninsured (14.8%) to be in families having problems paying medical bills in the past 12 months.
  • Children with Medicaid and CHIP coverage or those who were uninsured were more likely than children with private coverage (8.7%) to be in families having problems paying medical bills.
  • In 2021, among adults aged 65 and over, those with private coverage (4.8%) were less likely than those with Medicare and Medicaid (11.3%), Medicare Advantage (8.9%), traditional Medicare only (9.8%), and other coverage (9.1%) to be in families having problems paying medical bills.

The full report is available here. 
 
HHS Awards Nearly $245 Million in Mental Health Grants
On January 9th, HHS awarded nearly $245 million to support youth mental health, health care workforce mental health, and fund other mental health supports. The awards were granted through both the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Awards were granted as follows: 

  • $73.6 million for Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (Project AWARE) to help develop and support school-based mental health programs and services;
  • $57.7 million in Mental Health Awareness Training grants to prepare and train school personnel, emergency first responders, law enforcement and others to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges to enable early intervention;  
  • $14.9 million for School Based Trauma-Informed Support Services and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth to increase student access to evidence-based and culturally relevant trauma support services and mental health care;
  • $19.5 million for the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, to improve treatment and services for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced traumatic events;
  • $20 million in Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma grants to promote resilience and equity and prevent violence in communities that have recently faced civil unrest, community violence, and/or collective trauma; and
  • Nearly $60 million to support the integration of mental health training into the training of primary care clinicians, with a specific focus on preparing primary care providers to treat the mental health needs of children and adolescents.

More information is available here.

Other Updates

MedPAC Holds January Meeting
On January 12th and 13th, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened for its January public meeting. Commissioners voted in favor of the following payment-related recommendations:  

  • Updating Medicare rates for general acute care hospitals by the amount determined under current law plus 1%;
  • Beginning to redistribute disproportionate share hospital and uncompensated care payments through the Medicare safety net index;
  •  Updating physician fee schedule rates by 50% of projected increases to the Medicare economic index, including providing add-on payments for safety net providers;
  • Updating the 2023 End Stage Renal Disease base rate by the amount determined under law;
  • Updating the 2023 Hospice rate by the amount specified in current law and reducing the aggregate cap by 20%;
  • Reducing 2023 rates for Skilled Nursing Facilities by 3%;
  • Reducing the 2023 rate for home health agencies by 7%; and
  • Reducing the 2023 rate for inpatient rehabilitation facilities by 3%.

In addition, Commissioners discussed the following policy areas: 

  • Concerns regarding quality in the Medicare Advantage program;
  • Gaps in coverage that prohibit patients from accessing behavioral health care;
  • Adequacy of telehealth payments and concerns over possible telehealth fraud and abuse;
  • The effect of the Inflation Reduction Act on the Medicare Part D program; and
  • Recommendations for addressing the high cost of drugs covered under Medicare Part B.

The next MedPAC meeting will be held on March 2nd and 3rd.

NEJM Publishes Study on Adverse Events in Inpatient Settings
On January 12th, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study of 2,809 admissions across 11 Massachusetts hospitals during the 2018 calendar year. The authors identified adverse events in nearly one in four admissions (978 adverse events). Of these, approximately one-fourth of the events (222 events) were judged to be preventable. Overall, a preventable adverse event occurred in 6.8% of all admissions, and a preventable adverse event with a severity level of serious or higher occurred in 1% of all admissions. Adverse drug events were the most common adverse events (39%), followed by surgical or other procedural events (30.4%), patient-care events (15%) and health care-associated infections (11.9%).
 
The full report is available here.
 
Updated SPG Regulatory Waiver Tracker Available
SPG has updated its Regulatory Waiver Tracker document following the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to reflect changes in Medicare policy around telehealth flexibilities. continuation and expiration of certain waiver flexibilities. This resource also includes a summary of New York State and federal policy, including extensions and proposed permanent amendments to telehealth regulations.
 
Our updated resource is attached and available here.

New York State Updates

Governor Hochul Extends Statewide Disaster Emergency Due to Health Care StaffingShortages
On January 22nd, Governor Hochul issued Executive Order 4.17, which extends through February 21st the provisions in Executive Order 4 and its successors that reinstated many workforce and scope of practice flexibilities that applied during the original New York State Covid-19 public health emergency. However, certain provisions of the Order have expired, including those related to prior authorization and nursing home staffing and revenue requirements.
 
The Executive Order is available here.
 
DOH Issues Guidance on Medicaid Reimbursement for LCSWs, LMHCs, and LMFTs
In the December 2022 Medicaid update, the New York State (NYS) Department of Health (DOH) issued guidance on upcoming changes that will enable Medicaid reimbursement in private practice settings for: 

  • Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs);
  • Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs); and
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs).

Effective March 1st in fee-for-service (FFS) and April 1st under managed care, these practitioners may bill Medicaid for services within their scope of practice provided to Medicaid enrollees. Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSWs) may provide services within their scope of practice under the supervision of an LCSW, licensed psychologist, or psychiatrist, but cannot independently bill NYS Medicaid for their services. An LCSW may supervise up to six LMSWs.
 
All practitioners must be enrolled with the NYS Medicaid FFS program to receive reimbursement for services (including in managed care). Practitioners may submit applications for enrollment beginning February 2023.
 
On January 17th, DOH published a new policy manual on eMedNY for these practitioner types. The policy manual notes that: 

  • LCSWs, LMFTs, and LMHCs providing services in an Article 28 outpatient or clinic setting must be enrolled as an Ordering, Prescribing, Referring, Attending (OPRA) provider. 
    • Statutory restrictions exist on LCSWs (and LMSWs) providing services in Article 28 settings, which limit them to serving individuals under 21 and pregnant women up to 12 months postpartum.
    • No such restrictions exist on LMFTs and LMHCs; they may provide services within their scope of practice in these settings.
  • LCSWs, LMFTs, and LMHCs must also be enrolled as an OPRA provider to provide services in Article 16, 29-I, 31, or 32 clinic settings. Regulations on practice in those settings are determined by the appropriate agency overseeing them.

The policy manual is available here. The LCSW fee schedule for Medicaid FFS is available here, and the corresponding schedule for LMFTs and LMHCs is here. The December 2022 Medicaid update is available here.

Funding Opportunities

Elevance Health Foundation Releases Annual RFPs for Mental Health and Substance Use, Maternal and Child Health, and Food as Medicine Programs
The Elevance Health Foundation has released three RFPs for programs that address health inequities, specifically programs that: 

  • Address mental health and substance use disorder by providing a care and service options, including prevention and early intervention, crisis response and interventions, long-term intervention, and community resources and recovery supports (available here);
  • Create equity in maternal health care by addressing racial disparities, biases, barriers to care, and health-related social needs (available here); and
  • Address food insecurity (available here).

Eligible applicants are not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agencies with a history of proven, programmatic community initiatives relevant to the program for which they are applying. Applicants with national programs promoting scalable and sustainable systemic change or local programs in California, Georgia, Indiana, New York, Ohio, and Virginia that support socially vulnerable populations are encouraged to apply. The Foundation is investing up to $90 million in total funding ($30 million per RFP) over a contract term between 1-3 years.
 
Additional details are available here. Applications will be reviewed annually, with an annual deadline of January 31st for substance use/mental health, May 31st for food insecurity, and August 31st for maternal and child health.
 
SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Outreach and Intervention for Youth at High Risk for Psychosis
On January 13th, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2023 Community Programs for Outreach and Intervention with Youth and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis. This program provides trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions to youth and young adults (under age 25) in order to: 

  • Improve symptomatic and behavioral functioning;
  • Enable youth and young adults to resume age-appropriate social, academic, and/or vocational activities;
  • Delay or prevent the onset of psychosis; and
  • Minimize the duration of untreated psychosis for those who develop psychotic symptoms.

Through this opportunity, SAMHSA will award over $4.7 million in total funding across 12 contracts during the four-year program period. Cash or in-kind cost sharing is required. Contracts will begin on September 30th. Eligible applicants include health facilities or other public or private not-for-profit entities.
 
The NOFO is available here. Applications are due on March 14th. Questions may be submitted to Hope Griffith-Jones at hope.griffith-jones@samhsa.hhs.gov.
 
SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health Project
On January 17th, SAMHSA released a NOFO for the 2023 Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health project. This program promotes the wellness of young children from birth to eight years of age by addressing the social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioral aspects of their development. Program activities include screening and assessment, family and parent training, and public awareness communications, among others.
 
Through this opportunity, SAMHSA will award over $10.6 million in total funding across 13 contracts during the five-year program period. Contracts will begin on September 30th. Eligible applicants include health facilities or other public or private not-for-profit entities.
 
The NOFO is available here. Applications are due on March 21st. Questions may be submitted to Brooke Sims at launch23@samhsa.hhs.gov.
 
SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Treatment and Services for Homeless Individuals
On January 17th, SAMHSA released a NOFO for coordinated, evidence-based treatment and services for individuals who are experiencing homelessness, including youth and families with substance use disorder (SUD) or co-occurring mental health conditions and SUD. Awarded applicants will be expected to: 

  • Engage and connect the population of focus to behavioral health treatment, harm reduction services, case management, and recovery support services;
  • Assist with identifying sustainable permanent housing by collaborating with homeless services organizations and housing providers; and
  • Provide case management that includes care coordination/service delivery planning and other strategies that support stability across services and housing transitions.

Through this opportunity, SAMHSA will award over $15.7 million in total funding across 32 contracts during the five-year program period. Contracts will begin on September 30th. Eligible applicants are community-based public and private not-for-profit entities.
 
The NOFO is available here. Applications are due on March 21st. Questions may be submitted to Martha Kent at gbhi@samhsa.hhs.gov.
 
SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Adult Treatment, Recovery, and Reentry Services
On January 5th, SAMHSA released a NOFO for the expansion of SUD treatment and related recovery and reentry services to sentenced adults in the criminal justice system with an SUD or co-occurring SUD and mental disorder, who are returning to their families and community following a period of incarceration in state and local facilities including prisons, jails, or detention centers. Required activities include screening and assessment, treatment services, recovery support services, drug testing, and case management, among others.
 
Through this opportunity, SAMSHA will award $13 million in total funding to 33 applicants during the five-year program period. Eligible applicants include public or private not-for-profit entities.
 
The full RFP is available here. Applications are due on March 6th. Questions may be submitted to Jon Berg at TreatmentDrugCourts@samhsa.hhs.gov.
 
National Council for Mental Wellbeing Releases RFA to Support Community-Based Organizations with Overdose Prevention Efforts
On January 18th, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released a Request for Applications (RFA) seeking community behavioral health organizations, harm reduction organizations, and other community-based organizations to apply for funding to support overdose prevention efforts. Applicants must provide services within a city, county, or multiple geographic locations with a total population of at least 400,000. Priority will be given to projects that: 

  • Serve populations highly impacted by drug overdose;
  • Use a health equity approach;
  • Have the experience and infrastructure necessary to begin active implementation within five months of the start of the project period; and
  • Actively collaborate with other organizations that are engaged in overdose prevention and harm reduction activities within their communities.

Through this opportunity, the National Council will award grants of up to $100,000 during a 12-month project period to up to 25 sites that implement evidence-based or promising strategies to enhance and expand critical services that reduce the risk of overdose. In addition to funding support, selected sites will receive and participate in training and technical assistance opportunities. Contracts will begin in March 2023.
 
Additional details are available here. Applications are due on February 3rd. Questions may be submitted to J’Neal Woods at JNealW@nationalcouncil.org.
 
OMH Releases RFP Funding for Safe Option Support Critical Intervention Teams
On January 13th, the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) released an RFP for funding to support Safe Options Support (SOS) Critical Time Intervention (CTI) Teams in regions across New York State (with the exception of New York City). SOS CTI teams use an evidence-based approach to provide intensive outreach, engagement, and care coordination services to street homeless and those in temporary shelter settings. Teams will be comprised of licensed clinicians, care managers, and peer specialists.
 
Eight awards will be made through this RFP, with one team awarded in each of the following geographic areas: 

  • Downstate – Westchester County
  • Long Island – Nassau and Suffolk Counties
  • Central NY – Onondaga and Oswego Counties
  • Buffalo/Western NY – Erie County
  • Rochester/Finger Lakes – Monroe County
  • Capital District – Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga Counties
  • Hudson Valley – Orange and Dutchess Counties
  • Southern Tier – Broome, Chenango, Otsego Counties

Each team award will receive $955,350 in annual funding. Contracts will last for five years starting on July 1st. Eligible applicants are not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agencies with experience providing outreach, case management, and/or behavioral health services to persons with a history of housing instability and/or street homelessness.
 
The full RFP is available here. Applications are due on March 2nd. Awards are expected to be announced on March 30th. Questions may be submitted to Carol Swiderski at carol.swiderski@omh.ny.gov through February 3rd. Answers to questions will be posted on the OMH website on February 16th. There will be a Bidder’s Conference on January 25th at 1pm, registration for which is available here.
 
OASAS Announces RFP for the Expansion of Substance Use and Misuse Prevention Services
On January 13th, the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) released an RFA for the Community Prevention and Intervention Project (CPIP). CPIP will support the implementation and expansion of culturally appropriate substance use and misuse prevention services within the regional networks established under the State Opioid Response grant award.
 
Eligible applicants are OASAS-funded prevention providers or not-for-profit community agencies that demonstrate experience and/or knowledge of implementing evidence-based substance use and misuse prevention services. One award will be made in each of the twelve regions, and each awarded applicant will receive up to $300,000 in annual funding through September 30, 2025.
 
The full RFP is available here. Applications are due on February 24th. Awards are expected to be announced on March 22nd. Questions may be submitted by email to COVIDFunds@oasas.ny.gov by January 27th.
 
HCR Releases RFA for NYS Small Rental Development Initiative
On January 18th, the NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) released an RFA for the NYS Small Rental Housing Development Initiative. Through this opportunity, HCR will award $7 million in total funding during a two-year term to support applicants with the preservation and creation of high-quality, affordable, multi-family rental units. Rents for all project units must be affordable to households at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
 
Individual awards will range from $500,000 to $2 million and will support new construction or substantial or moderate rehabilitation of multi-family rental projects of 5-20 units at identified project sites. Funding is available as construction and permanent financing. Funding will be provided as a 0% deferred payment loan.
 
Eligible applicants are not-for-profit corporations or wholly owned subsidiary of such corporations. Joint partnerships with experienced developers are encouraged to bolster capacity; however, the lead applicant must be a not-for-profit organization.
 
The RFA is available here. Applications are due on April 17th. HCR will host an information session on February 7th and registration is available here. Questions may be submitted to OCRinfo@hcr.ny.gov with “SRDI Application Question” in the subject line.
 
NYC ACS Releases RFP for the Provision of Skills Training for Parents with I/DD
On January 13th, the New York City (NYC) Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Developmental Disabilities Unit released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the expansion of services for parents with a known or suspected intellectual or developmental disability (I/DD) or cognitive delay. The RFP seeks providers approved by the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to offer parenting skills training, one-on-one coaching, and linkages to support and services for parents with a known or suspected I/DD, including those with dual diagnoses of I/DD and other clinical needs.
 
ACS anticipates awarding over $2.8 million in total funding to up to three awardees during the three-year program period. Contracts will start on October 1st, with options to renew for two additional three-year terms. The reimbursement structure will be an hourly fee per required service.
 
Applicants must be approved OPWDD adult waiver service providers. Selected providers will be required to each serve a minimum of 120 individuals annually across all five boroughs of NYC.
 
The RFP is available in the PASSPort system here by searching “Essential Parenting Supports.” Applications are due on February 17th. Questions may be submitted to IDD-CP@acs.nyc.gov through February 10th. There will be a pre-proposal conference on January 24th at 2pm, which may be accessed here.  
 
NYC HRA Releases RFP for the Operation and Maintenance of Permanent Housing for Homeless Individuals
On January 13th, the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) released an RFP seeking qualified vendors to operate and maintain approximately 600 units of permanent housing for homeless single individuals, adult families, and families with children. The target population is U.S. military veterans and individuals and families who require social services support in order to succeed in permanent housing, but who are not in need of nor eligible for supportive housing. Awarded applicants will be required to provide on-site social services, property management, and security.
 
HRA will award over $56 million in total funding during the five-year program across 12-15 contracts. The payment structure will be a line-item reimbursable budget with annual performance-based disincentives for failure to maintain the required occupancy levels. Contracts will last for five years, with a four-year renewal option.
 
Applicants must be not-for-profit providers (or a consortium of partners with a not-for-profit as the lead) with at least five years of experience providing similar services for master leasing apartments or building to permanently house the target population. Applicants should also have at least five years of experience serving as a property manager and providing support services.
 
The RFP is available in the PASSPort system here by searching “Master Leasing.” Applications will be accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis until the units necessary for the program have been met. Questions may be submitted to Kelly Conliffe at conliffek@hra.nyc.gov.