DATE:
November 18, 2025
03
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
AUTHORIZE A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF A FLEXIBLE HOUSING POOL PILOT TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT HOUSING INTERVENTIONS (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Beginning January 1, 2026, Transitional Rent will be available to qualifying Medi-Cal beneficiaries with substance use disorders (SUD) and/or serious mental illness (SMI). This service will be provided through the Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) under the Community Supports component of the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT) Initiative. Under BH-CONNECT, this new Transitional Rent benefit, inclusive of rent and temporary housing, will be provided to members who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, have certain clinical risk factors and meet certain additional eligibility criteria for up to six months.
Transitional Rent is intended as a new tool to help address and prevent homelessness and will be available for up to six months to eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries who meet the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Housing Interventions funding criteria. On July 1, 2026, BHSA Housing Interventions will launch to align with Transitional Rent. To support a pathway to long-term housing stability, eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries may transition to BHSA Housing Interventions after receiving six months of Transitional Rent. BHSA replaces the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) passed by voters in 2004. It reforms behavioral health care funding to prioritize services for people with the most significant mental health needs, while adding the treatment of substance use disorders.
Furthermore, the establishment of a Flexible Housing Pool (Flex Pool) could enable centralized administration of diverse funding streams for rental and housing subsidies, enhancing coordination of T...
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