Legislators press department on dozens of clients in hotels; AAAs and DCF say they are coordinating weekly case management

Legislators pressed the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living about people who are eligible for Choices for Care or developmental services but remain housed in hotels and motels. Committee members asked how many people are affected, what teams are doing to move them into stable housing, and which entities will carry case‑management responsibilities during upcoming program changes.

Committee members cited a rough total of people in temporary lodging who are eligible for departmental services. In response, the department provided program‑level counts: Trusted Source Care currently shows about 21 people in hotel or motel situations, and the developmental services count provided during testimony identified 27 individuals in that status at the time of the report. Committee members said the combined figure felt like “close to 50” and asked for more current, person‑level data.

The department described the referral and case‑management pathway. Staff said referrals generally come through existing case managers (for people already on Choices for Care) or through DCF/economic services when people are in the hotel/motel voucher system. “We then connect with each AAA individually to make sure that they're aware of those individuals and prioritizing those individuals for case management, including the work to help people find housing,” the department said. The department emphasized that, while normal case‑management standards call for monthly contact, “for these individuals, it's more like working with them on a weekly basis.”

Why it matters: Leaving people with funded supports in temporary lodging increases costs and reduces stability for people with disabilities or long‑term needs. Legislators requested better tracking so the state can monitor movement into permanent housing and ensure case managers are meeting people where they are.

Department staff said some regions have stronger local housing coalitions and that designated agencies, AAAs and housing partners are using team approaches — sometimes combining case managers, housing specialists and field directors — to problem‑solve and transport people to view housing options or complete assessments.

Several legislators asked the department to share more granular tracking data — case notes, contact dates and movement outcomes — so the committee can evaluate whether the state’s response is translating into exits from hotel and motel placements. Department staff acknowledged data‑gathering limits in some systems and agreed to provide the committee what records are available from AAAs and local partners.

Ending: The committee directed the department to supply updated counts and documentation of outreach and housing placements for people on Choices for Care and in developmental services who are currently in temporary lodging.