Housing Stabilization Services is a Medical Assistance (MA) benefit that helps people with disabilities and seniors find and keep housing.
It is for people who are experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, at risk of institutionalization, or living in an institution or some types of group settings, including ICF-DDs, nursing facilities, Adult Foster Care, and Board and Lodge.
There are three types of Housing Stabilization Services:
Housing consultation: A housing consultant helps a person who doesn’t have MA case management develop a person-centered plan that addresses their needs, wants, and goals for living in the community.
Examples: Developing a housing focused person-centered plan based on the person’s needs, wants, and goals for housing; helping a person make an informed choice in their housing transition or sustaining services provider; offering resources related to non-housing goals; and coordinating with other service providers already working with the person.
Housing transition services: A housing transition services provider (a person or agency) helps a person plan for, find, and move into housing.
Examples: Helping the person think about preferred housing; with the housing search and application processes; developing a budget; understanding a lease; and paying for moving expenses.
Important: You do not need a source of housing funding, income, or job in order to get housing transition services.
Housing sustaining services: A housing sustaining services provider (a person or agency) helps a person keep their housing after they have moved in.
Examples: Education on tenant-landlord rights and responsibilities; coaching to develop relationships with property managers and neighbors; training on how to be a good tenant; lease compliance; and problem-solving to maintain housing stability.
Note: Housing Stabilization Services do not pay for housing or goods.
Use the Housing Sustaining Plan path in the HB101 Vault
HB101’s Vault lets you do activities that help you make your housing plan. With a free account, you can use the Housing Sustaining Plan path. It helps you think about how your team can help you, what action steps you can take to keep living in your current place, and how to make sure you have enough money.
Who It Helps
To get Housing Stabilization Services, you must:
Have Medical Assistance (MA) coverage
Be 18 or older
Have a disability
Your disability does not have to meet Social Security’s adult standards for disability. Disabilities can include physical disabilities, mental illness, substance use disorder, and other conditions.
At risk of homelessness (including being doubled up, needing services to keep your housing, or you experienced homelessness in the past and now are being discharged from a correctional, medical, mental health, or substance use disorder treatment center without a permanent place to live)
Moving out of (or moved out of in the last six months) an institution, nursing facility, or certain other group settings like Board and Lodge or Adult Foster Care, or
At risk of institutionalization.
Be assessed to need help with at least one of these disability-related areas:
Getting Started with Housing Stabilization Services
Answer the questions to see if and how you can get Housing Stabilization Services.
Do you have Medical Assistance (MA) coverage?
Do you get services from a disability waiver or senior program?
Are you experiencing housing instability? Choose the answer that is closest to your situation.
Do you need services in order to stay in your own home?
Do you get targeted case management for Mental Health (MH), Child Welfare (CW), Developmental Disabilities (DD), or from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)?
Do you have a disability or other condition, or are you 65 or older? Your disability could be physical, mental, developmental, related to learning, or alcohol or drug dependency.
Do you get targeted case management for Mental Health (MH), Child Welfare (CW), Developmental Disabilities (DD), or from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)?
Do you have a disability or other condition, or are you 65 or older? Your disability could be physical, mental, developmental, related to learning, or alcohol or drug dependency.
Next Steps: Contact Coordinated Entry or a Housing Consultant
Here are two different ways to get started with Housing Stabilization Services:
Try contacting your local Coordinated Entry Access Point to get a Coordinated Entry Assessment. Coordinated Entry helps people who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing. Tell them you have a disability, share with them your proof of disability (that you get benefits based on it, have a Professional Statement of Need, have a Medical Opinion Form, or are 65 or older), and say that you want Housing Stabilization Services. They may connect you to a Housing Consultant or other providers who can help you with Housing Stabilization Services.
Find a Housing Consultant using MinnesotaHelp.info or the Department of Human Services MHCP Search (make sure to set “Sub Type” to “Housing Stabilization Services”). A Housing Consultant can help you make a Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan. Your plan can help you connect with a Housing Stabilization Services provider, who may help you with services for transition (moving from one place to another) or sustaining (keeping your current place).
Next Steps: Contact Coordinated Entry or a Housing Consultant
Here are two different ways to get started with Housing Stabilization Services:
Try contacting your local Coordinated Entry Access Point to get a Coordinated Entry Assessment. Coordinated Entry helps people who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing. Tell them you have a disability and that you want Housing Stabilization Services. They may connect you to a Housing Consultant or other providers who can help you with Housing Stabilization Services.
Find a Housing Consultant using MinnesotaHelp.info or the Department of Human Services MHCP Search (make sure to set “Sub Type” to “Housing Stabilization Services”). A Housing Consultant can help you see if you have any documentation of your disability or can help you with a Professional Statement of Need. Then, they can help you make a Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan. Your plan can help you connect with a Housing Stabilization Services provider, who may help you with services for transition (moving from one place to another) or sustaining (keeping your current place).
Next Steps: Contact Coordinated Entry and Disability Hub MN
Contact your local Coordinated Entry Access Point to get a Coordinated Entry Assessment. Coordinated Entry can help people who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing.
Since you don’t have a disability, you can’t get Housing Stabilization Services. If you aren’t sure, Chat with a Hub expert to get help understanding if you have a condition that might qualify you for Housing Stabilization Services.
Next Steps: Contact Coordinated Entry and Disability Hub MN
Contact your local Coordinated Entry Access Point to get a Coordinated Entry Assessment. Coordinated Entry can help people who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing.
For Housing Stabilization Services, you must have a disabling condition. Chat with a Hub expert to get help understanding if you have a disability or other condition that might qualify you for Housing Stabilization Services.
Next Step: Learn about other housing programs and services
Housing Stabilization Services help people who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing, or who are at risk of institutionalization because they don’t get the services they need to be able to stay in their home. For other types of programs and services that might help you with your housing, see HB101’s Programs page.
Next Step: Contact your waiver case manager
Contact your waiver case manager and ask about Housing Stabilization Services. Your case manager can help you with a Coordinated Services and Supports Plan. This plan helps you connect with a Housing Stabilization Services provider, who may help you with services for transition (moving from one place to another) or sustaining (keeping your current place).
Next Step: Contact your case manager, care coordinator, or nurse navigator
Contact your waiver case manager or your MSHO/MSC+ care coordinator/nurse navigator and ask about Housing Stabilization Services. They can help you create a formal plan (EW Coordinated Services and Supports Plan or MSHO/MSC+ Coordinated (Collaborative) Care Plan). Your plan helps you connect with a Housing Stabilization Services provider, who may help you with services for transition (moving from one place to another) or sustaining (keeping your current place).
Next Step: Contact Disability Hub MN
Chat with a Hub expert to get help finding out if you have case management that can help you get Housing Stabilization Services. When you know the answer to this question, try this tool again.
Next Step: Contact your targeted case manager
Contact your targeted case manager and ask about Housing Stabilization Services. Your targeted case manager can help you with a Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan. This plan will help you connect with a Housing Stabilization Services provider, who may help you with services for transition (moving from one place to another) or sustaining (keeping your current place).
Next Step: Contact Your County or Tribal Office
Contact your local county or tribal human services office to check if you have a targeted case manager who can help you get Housing Stabilization Services. When you know the answer to this question, try this tool again.
If you haven’t had a MnCHOICES assessment, contact your county or tribal human services office to request one. After you request it, it should happen within 20 days.
After the MnCHOICES assessment is done, you should get the results within 40 days. If you haven’t gotten the results or don’t know the results, contact the MnCHOICES assessor or Chat with a Hub expert to get help.
When you have had a MnCHOICES assessment and know what services it recommends for you, try this tool again.
Next Step: Find a Housing Consultant
Find a Housing Consultant using MinnesotaHelp.info or the Department of Human Services MHCP Search (make sure to set “Sub Type” to “Housing Stabilization Services”). A Housing Consultant can help you make a Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan. Your plan can help you connect with a Housing Stabilization Services provider, who may help you with services for transition (moving from one place to another) or sustaining (keeping your current place).
Next Step: Find a Housing Consultant
Find a Housing Consultant using MinnesotaHelp.info or the Department of Human Services MHCP Search (make sure to set “Sub Type” to “Housing Stabilization Services”). A Housing Consultant can help you see if you have any documentation of your disability or can help you with a Professional Statement of Need. Then, they can help you make a Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan. Your plan can help you connect with a Housing Stabilization Services provider, who may help you with services for transition (moving from one place to another) or sustaining (keeping your current place).
Next Step: Contact Disability Hub MN
Since you don’t have a disability, you can’t get Housing Stabilization Services. If you aren’t sure, Chat with a Hub expert to get help understanding if you have a condition that might qualify you for Housing Stabilization Services. If you do, try this tool again.
Next Step: Contact Disability Hub MN
For Housing Stabilization Services, you must have a disabling condition. Chat with a Hub expert to get help understanding if you have a disability or other condition that might qualify you for Housing Stabilization Services. If you do, try this tool again.
If you have MA coverage, you need to get an assessment to see if you qualify for Housing Stabilization Services.
You can get an assessment from:
A qualified professional, like a mental health professional, nurse practitioner, or doctor
A certified assessor (with a MnCHOICES assessment or Long-Term Care Consultation)
A senior care coordinator (includes Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) and Minnesota Senior Care Plus (MSC+) care coordinators), or
A coordinated entry assessor.
2. Make a Person-Centered Plan
If the assessment shows that Housing Stabilization Services would help you, the next step is to get help making or updating a person-centered plan.
The person who did your assessment may not be the same person who helps with the person-centered plan:
If you have a MA-Waiver case manager, MSHO/MSC+ care coordinator, senior care coordinator, or Moving Home Minnesota case manager, that person will help you update your plan to include Housing Stabilization Services.
If you have a targeted case manager, that person will help you complete your plan.
No matter who helps you with your person-centered plan, you get to decide which provider will help you with housing transition or housing sustaining services. The provider you pick will be included in the person-centered plan.
3. Get Approved
Then, your assessment, proof of disability, and person-centered plan are sent to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) for approval. Once you are approved, you can start getting your housing transition or sustaining services.
Note: If you don’t have MA, you need to apply for it before you can ask for Housing Stabilization Services.
Get Help
To learn more about MA Housing Stabilization Services: