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Advocates propose $340,000 for behavioral health coaches to support HUD-subsidized senior housing
Summary
An association representing nonprofit housing and services providers asked the committee to include $340,000 in the DCA budget to fund two behavioral health coaches to serve HUD-subsidized affordable senior housing communities and reduce evictions and costly downstream outcomes.
An association representing nonprofit and mission-driven housing providers asked the appropriations subcommittee to allocate $340,000 to the Department of Community Affairs to fund two behavioral health coaches to support residents in HUD-subsidized affordable senior housing.
The group told the committee that many affordable-housing communities have a handful of residents with unmet behavioral-health needs; coaches assess needs, connect residents to mental-health providers, assist with medical appointments and help address problems such as hoarding. The association cited the Atlanta Regional Commission’s pilot program with the Atlanta Housing Authority that it said reduced evictions by 99% where behavioral health coaching was implemented.
Advocates said each pair of coaches could serve up to 13 communities and that the greatest demand is in Fulton and DeKalb counties but that the program could be deployed across other parts of the state. They argued the investment would reduce hospitalizations and foster-care or shelter reliance by keeping seniors housed and connected to services.
Committee members did not ask immediate follow-up questions; advocates offered to provide additional program details offline.
