Mental Health Services Act Housing

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

In 2004, the voters of California approved Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). The MHSA explicitly recognized that housing with connected services that support housing retention is a critical need of persons with mental illness in California. The Orange County Health Care Agency/Behavioral Health Services (HCA/BHS) is the County department responsible for the delivery of mental health treatment and supportive services. OC Community Services (OCCS) is the County department responsible for the administration of affordable housing activities. In order to implement the program and draw on local housing expertise, HCA/BHS collaborated with OCCS to develop supportive housing with MHSA funds. A local MHSA Housing Plan was developed and by January 2015, 117 new MHSA units throughout Orange County will be occupied by MHSA-eligible homeless individuals. MHSA funds were leveraged with other private and public funding sources for a total of 428 affordable units (311 affordable units and 117 MHSA units). The development of these permanent supportive housing units not only achieves addressing local need, but also provides for collective impact by supporting goals in Orange County’s Ten-year Plan to End Homelessness; permanent supportive housing is a best practice that “ends” homelessness, versus “managing” homeless in transitional shelter.