This Agreement reflects the Bridge Subsidy Program (BSP) which was a pilot program through a partnership between the Arizona Department of Health Services, Division of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS) and the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) to expand the supply of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in Arizona for individuals with serious mental illness enrolled in the public behavioral health system. PSH is a best practice housing approach that provides permanent housing (typically rental apartments integrated in the community) linked with voluntary and flexible community-based services. The PSH model is based on a philosophy that supports consumer choice and empowerment, rights and responsibilities of tenancy, and appropriate flexible, accessible, and available services that meet each consumer's changing needs.
This initiative is a tenant-based rental assistance program with basic policies similar to the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. This initiative will provide ADHS/DBHS consumers with more housing choices and the flexibility to select a unit and neighborhood that meets their specific needs and preferences. This program is designed as a "bridge subsidy" to help consumers eventually access HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. To this end, the Bridge Subsidy Program will mirror to the extent possible HUD's Section 8 HCV Program. The ADHS/DBHS consumers will receive the rental assistance until they are able to access a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, or no more than a five-year period.
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