The new program helps pay for move-in costs for people experiencing homelessness.
La Crosse County is the second county in Wisconsin approved for a new Medicaid-funded program to help people who are homeless get housing and receive support to stay housed.
The Medicaid housing support waiver (1915(i)) became effective statewide on February 1. It allows eligible individuals experiencing homelessness to receive:
--Up to 150 hours of transition support (document collection, landlord applications, etc.).
--Up to 150 hours of sustaining support after being housed, to help people adjust and stabilize.
--$2,000 in relocation support toward security deposits and utility start-up costs.
The approval should unlock significant new resources for our community and will support Pathways Home, our city-county homelessness response plan. As part of that plan, La Crosse County Human Services created a new Specialized Behavioral Health Unit to provide on-the-ground outreach, case management, and behavioral health support. The creation of this team was the key factor in the county receiving approval for the waiver.
“Housing navigation was a known gap in our system—and now we’re filling it,” said John Manke, manager of ISRS (Integrated Support and Recovery Services) at La Crosse County Human Services.