Housing Support for Certified Recovery Residences

What is Housing Support?

Housing Support is a state-funded program that pays for room and board for older adults and adults with disabilities who have low incomes. The program aims to reduce and prevent people from living in institutions or becoming homeless. To see all requirements of the program, refer to MN Statute 256I.

Housing Support requires three things:

  • Eligible PERSON
  • Eligible PROVIDER
  • Eligible PLACE

PERSON – Who is eligible to be a Housing Support recipient?

An eligible person must meet one of the following three criteria:

  1. 65 years of age or older
  2. Certified Disability1
  3. Disabling Condition2

People must meet income and asset limits:

Asset limits

  • For all recipients of Minnesota cash assistance programs only: $10,000 state asset limit.
  • For all recipients with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) income: $2,000 federal asset limit.
  • For recipients using state health care: Medical Assistance asset limits apply.

Income limits

  • Countable income (gross income minus deductions) cannot be more than maximum Housing Support benefit authorized for the residence, currently $1,192.

Other things that will be verified

  • Name, age, immigration status, residence, Social Security number

For more information about income and assets and to see an eligibility estimator tool, see DB101.org.

Please note: People exiting residential behavioral health treatment can access Housing Support for up to three months before completing income, asset, and disability verifications.

1 A person’s disability has been confirmed by the Social Security Administration or the State Medical Review Team.
2 A person’s condition has been confirmed by a Qualified Professional as indicated in Section 2 of the Professional Statement of Need. 

PROVIDER – What does it mean to be a Housing Support provider?

  • Housing Support is a cash benefit paid to an eligible provider on behalf of an eligible person. 
  • The funds come with responsibilities: Ensure room and board standards are met for recipients.
  • The provider MUST have a Housing Support agreement with a county, Tribe, or DHS.

PLACE – Where can people live and receive Housing Support?

Housing Support is allowed in many settings, including but not limited to board and lodge, adult foster care, assisted living, and independent apartments where residents have a lease. For a full list of eligible settings, see this settings characteristics chart.

To sign an agreement with DHS for Housing Support, Certified Recovery Residences must have a Board and Lodge license, potentially alongside a Special Services registration. To determine whether you need the special services registration and how to get your license, see the MN Department of Health website.

Housing Support agreements

To receive Housing Support on behalf of eligible people, providers must sign an annual agreement with the county, Tribe, or DHS. The agreement is valid through one state fiscal year: July 1 - June 30. The agreement outlines the conditions providers must meet, including standards for staff qualifications, training, and background studies. The agreement describes the room and board standards that must be met for each eligible recipient and documents the rates that the state pays.

DHS only signs Housing Support agreements directly with one type of provider: Level 2 Certified Recovery Residences who can meet all standards outlined within the Housing Support agreement.

Agreements - Provider standards

All staff who have direct contact with individuals must meet or exceed the following minimum staff qualification requirements, and provide documentation to DHS when asked.

Staff must have skills and knowledge acquired through at least one of the following:

  • A course of study in a health or human services related field leading to a bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, or associate’s degree
  • One year of experience with the target population served
  • Experience as a mental health certified peer specialist according to Minnesota Statutes sections 256B.0615, or meeting the requirements for unlicensed personnel under sections 144A.43 to 144A.483.

Staff must also:

  • Hold a driver’s license appropriate to the vehicle used if transporting recipients of Housing Support
  • Complete vulnerable adult mandated reporter training
  • Complete DHS training on Housing Support (training modules coming soon).

The following individuals must complete background studies through DHS NetStudy 2.0 to be eligible to work in a Housing Support setting: 

  • Controlling individuals as defined in section 245A.02
  • Managerial officials as defined in section 245A.02
  • All employees and volunteers of the establishment who have direct contact with Housing Support recipients, or have unsupervised access to Housing Support recipients, their personal property, or their private data.

Room and Board standards

The provider must demonstrate due diligence to ensure that Housing Support recipients have at a minimum: 

  • Food preparation and service for three nutritional meals a day on site
  • A bed, clothing storage, linen, bedding, laundering, and laundry supplies or service
  • Housekeeping, including cleaning and lavatory supplies or service
  • Maintenance and operation of building and grounds, including heat, water, garbage removal, electricity, telephone for the site, cooling, supplies, and parts and tools to repair and maintain equipment and facilities
  • The vendor is required to uphold the quality standards of the license for their setting, including storage and handling of medications, according to related licensure or registration from the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, or Tribal government.

Process for CRR providers to become Housing Support providers:

All providers who become a Level 2 Certified Recovery Residence and indicate interest in Housing Support will be connected to the process of attaining an agreement with DHS. 

Step 1 (Simultaneous with Step 2): Become a Certified Recovery Residence Level 2. 

Only Level 2 Certified Recovery Residences are eligible for a Housing Support agreement with DHS. See the Certified Recovery Residences web page for all required steps to complete certification.

Step 2 (Simultaneous with Step 1): Verify Housing Support provider eligibility.

For providers pursuing Level 2 Recovery Residence Certification, work on the following process simultaneously if you intend to access Housing Support:

  1. Complete this form to initiate the process for a Housing Support agreement with DHS. 
  2. Ensure you have a Board and Lodge license.
  3. Complete NetStudy 2.0 Background Studies for:
    • All controlling individuals and managerial officials
    • All volunteers and employees who have direct contact with recipients
    • All volunteers and employees who have unsupervised access to recipients, recipients’ personal property, or recipients’ private data.
  4. Complete training for Housing Support provider employees:
  5. Ensure Level 2 Recovery Residence Certification is in place.