Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Initiative

In January 2011, the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) was charged with recommending changes that would reduce the growth in Medicaid spending in New York while maintaining or improving health outcomes for Medicaid members. The MRT Affordable Housing Workgroup identified increasing the availability of affordable supportive housing for high–utilizers of Medicaid members who are homeless or living in institutional settings as a significant opportunity for reducing Medicaid cost growth.

Since the 2011 recommendations, MRT has invested $880M into housing as a social determinant of health to improve the quality of care to the vulnerable Medicaid population. MRT utilizes innovative housing program models to provide rental subsidies, support services and capital projects state–wide. The initiative serves multiple populations in partnership with the Department of Health’s Office of Health Insurance Programs and AIDS Institute, the Office of Mental Health, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, and Homes and Community Renewal. MRT Supporting Housing is managed through the Bureau of Social Determinants of Health.