FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2023
Avalon Housing awarded $2.1M from MDHHS Pilot to expand, improve Permanent Supportive Housing services
Ann Arbor, MI – Effective June 1, 2023, Avalon Housing will be receiving $2.1M from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services as part of a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Pilot. The aim of the Pilot is to demonstrate the effectiveness of quality supportive housing services.
During the past two years, alongside Senator Jeff Irwin, his Chief of Staff Annie Somerville, and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), Avalon has advocated for increased supportive housing services funding in the state of Michigan. This has led to a total State appropriation of $6M, of which Avalon will receive $2.1M over the next three years. Through this pilot program, a portion of Avalon’s client to staff ratios will be lowered. This will enable Avalon to provide more intensive case management services to their highest-needs tenants and clients.
In addition to significantly reducing caseload sizes, this funding will enable Avalon to provide more employment support to clients, offer conflict resolution and skill building services to tenants, restructure Avalon’s service-delivery team and improve the recruitment and retention of Avalon staff.
As part of this PSH pilot program, Avalon will create a new Intensive Case Services team consisting of Intensive Case Managers (ICMs) and dedicated property management, maintenance and intake staff. Utilizing a “Housing First” approach, ICMs will work directly with the 200+ Avalon clients/tenants who will be served through the PSH Supportive Services Pilot. Intensive Case Managers will also work closely with Avalon’s community partners to help clients receive the range of services they need in order to not just exit homelessness, but stay in their homes.
Says Aubrey Patiño, Avalon’s Executive Director, “We are thrilled to receive this funding from the MDHHS. We are deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of Senator Jeff Irwin, Chief of Staff Annie Sommerville, and the staff of CSH, who continue to advocate for supportive housing funding. With sustained funding for supportive services, PSH providers like Avalon can help our neighbors not just exit homelessness. We can help people live stably in their homes, as contributing members of their communities. Avalon applied for this Pilot funding based on best practices informed by Avalon’s evidence-based supportive housing model. Avalon has developed these best practices throughout our 30-year history. We are incredibly honored by, and proud of, this grant award.”
Avalon Housing, Inc. is an Ann Arbor-based non-profit created in 1992 as a long-term solution to homelessness. Through supportive housing, Avalon provides permanently affordable housing centered on community, care and support. Our vision is for all our neighbors to have homes and a chance to thrive. Avalon develops, owns and manages supportive housing for over 800 of Washtenaw County’s lowest-income residents, including 200 children. We serve people who have been chronically homeless and who have behavioral and/or physical health challenges.
Visit avalonhousing.org/applicantpro.com/jobs to learn more.
Contact:
Marcia Luke-van Dijk
Avalon Housing
mluke-vandijk@avalonhousing.org