Supportive Housing
MDC provides clients with housing placement and services that best meet their needs. Apartments, duplexes, shared housing and single family dwellings comprise the nearly 250 units of housing available at MDC. Four nationally recognized housing models are offered.
MDC provides clients with housing placement and services that best meet their needs. Apartments, duplexes, shared housing and single family dwellings comprise the nearly 250 units of housing available at MDC. Four nationally recognized housing models are offered.
Short-term Housing is housing for homeless families with tailored case management services aimed at decreasing barriers to housing.
Permanent Supportive Housing Housing is available for individuals who may be chemically dependent or have mental or physical disabilities. Housing units may be single room occupancy (SRO) or shared housing. Services are provided to meet each client’s individual needs.
Housing First is permanent supportive housing that places chronically homeless adults into safe, stable housing first. Required weekly health and safety checks are intended to promote a relationship with case management staff. As residents feel safe and ready, services are introduced. Healthcare services are available to Housing First residents for their first year in housing. All other services are available as requested and as appropriate.
Affordable Housing offers affordable, well maintained rental housing to those earning less than 60% of the Area median income.
Please complete this form to refer a client/or to be referred to one of the MDC Supportive Housing Programs. The form will take approximately 8 minutes to complete.
Foundational Community Supports
The Foundational Community Supports: Supportive Housing (FCS) program help individuals who are homeless or unstably housed live with maximum independence in community-integrated housing. Each participant is connected to a knowledgeable and supportive Care Coordinator, who assists the individual in:
- Housing Assessment and Planning.
- Outreach to Property Managers to identify available housing in the community.
- Assistance with housing applications.
- Advocating on behalf of the individual.
- Connecting to community resources to provide wrap around services.
Eligibility for the Foundational Community Supports: Supportive Housing program is determined by Amerigroup. Most approvals are received within 10 days of completing an assessment with an MDC Care Coordinator. The qualifying factors include:
- Active Medicaid benefits WITH a program eligible code assigned by Medicaid (These codes can be confirmed by the care coordinator completing the FCS Assessment).
- A Verifiable mental health and/or physical condition, or a substance use disorder
- Chronic homelessness (12 months or more)
- At risk of losing your current housing
Forensic Housing and Recovery through Peer Services
The Forensic Housing and Recovery through Peer Services (F-HARPS) program provides supportive housing services and short-term housing bridge subsidies to at risk individuals. The focus population of the F-HARPS program are individuals exiting or at risk of entering inpatient behavioral healthcare settings. Each participant is connected to a knowledgeable and supportive certified peer, who assists the individual in:
- Housing Assessment and Planning.
- Outreach to Property Managers to identify available housing in the community.
- Assistance with housing applications.
- Advocating on behalf of the individual.
- Connecting to community resources to provide wrap around services.
The qualifying factors for the Forensic Housing and Recovery through Peer Services (F-HARPS) program are:
- The participant needs to be Homeless
- The participant needs to diagnosed with Mental Health and/or a Substance Use Disorder
- The participant needs to have legal system involvement within the last 24 months.
Case Management
As a resource throughout a client’s stay in housing, case managers connect clients with other MDC programs or community services that will help them become self-sufficient.
MDC offers other housing services to help families, particularly seniors, stay in their homes.
Energy Assistance is provided to low-income families qualifying for assistance with heating their homes.
Weatherization helps households conserve energy and reduce costs through conservation education, insulation services and furnace repair for the economically disadvantaged in Tacoma.
Who We Serve
Nearly 900 individuals from Pierce County are housed every year in housing units located in Tacoma, Lakewood, Spanaway, Parkland, and Puyallup. All are low-income with households earning between zero and 60% of median income. Many are homeless or at risk of homelessness, living in shelters, or unstable/unsafe living conditions. Some have developmental disabilities, AIDS/HIV, mental illness, or chemical dependency. While all ethnicities experience homelessness within our community, statistics show there is a disproportionate impact of homelessness in the Black community when compared to their overall percentage of the population. For example: 8% of the population in Tacoma is identified as African American or Black, while 26% of the homeless population is identified as African American or Black. Twenty percent of housing clients served are African American or Black.
Outcomes
Housing Units Managed | 250 |
Households placed in Housing | 875 |
(175 of households are provided with Case Management services) | |
Energy Asst households served | 5000 |
WX & MHR households served | 370 |
TOTAL Households Served | 6,645 |
TOTAL Individuals Served | 16,935 |