CSH Report Examines QAP Policy Trends Promoting Supportive Housing

The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) recently released its annual report, Housing Credit Policies in 2015 that Promote Supportive Housing, which finds that "virtually every Housing Credit agency fosters some form of supportive housing development through its Housing Credit program." The report notes that in 2015, 19 Housing Credit allocating agencies added new or significantly enhanced existing policies that promote supportive housing development.

According to CSH, supportive housing – combining affordable housing with services to help people who face the most complex challenges live with stability, autonomy, and dignity – is a proven, cost-effective way to end homelessness. By providing people who are chronically homeless or have other special needs with a way out of expensive emergency public services and back into their own homes and communities, supportive housing not only improves the lives of its residents but also generates significant public savings.

The report finds three main policy trends in 2015:

• State HFAs are applying creative means to drive more resources to supportive housing, going beyond scoring incentives to promote a variety of projects and housing models;
• QAPs are addressing the service needs of supportive housing and low-income renters by incentivizing, providing, or requiring substantial service funding; and
• More Housing Credit agencies promote projects with a variety of mixes of supportive and affordable housing, highlighting the desire to create more community housing options for people with disabilities.