Low Income Housing Services
ACHIEVE Human Services receives funding from the Arizona Department of Housing and Arizona Complete Health to provide rental assistance to individuals with disabilities and who are experiencing homelessness.
Housing Services
ACHIEVE Human Services contracts with the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) which offers a subsidized housing program similar to Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. All subsidized housing participants receive supportive services from Achieve Human Services as well. In order to qualify for this housing program, you must meet the qualification of being chronically homeless which is 12 or more months of homelessness in the last three years, and have a qualifying disability. The definitions of homeless and qualifying disability are listed below:
Homeless
Consistent with 24 CFR Part 578 HEARTH Continuum of Care Program: Interim Final Rule, July 31, 2012, program participants must meet the following definition and provide proper documentation for the Category I definition of homeless, which is:
An Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning:
- Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation;
- Is living in a publicly or privately-operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, and local government programs); or
- Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution.
Qualifying Disability
A homeless person with a disability must have at least one of the following conditions:
- A physical, mental, or emotional impairment of long-continued duration, impeding the ability to live independently, and of a nature that could be improved by more suitable housing
- A developmental disability
- AIDS or related diseases
How to get a “Referral”
In order to be placed on the housing list for the ADOH subsidized housing program, you must outreach one of the three coordinated entry spots located at Achieve Human Services, Western Arizona Council of Governments (WACOG), or National Community Health Partners (NCHP). Once you have completed a Coordinated Entry Assessment your information will auto-populate on a by-name list which is maintained by the Case Conferencing Committee. If your information meets the minimum eligibility for the housing program through Achieve Human Services, then a referral will be submitted by the Case Conferencing Committee. Once the referral is received, a BHT with Achieve Human Services will schedule an intake with the qualified individual.
Where am I at on the waiting list?
Achieve Human Services does not maintain a “waiting list” for individuals. There are two ways to get enrolled with services.
- Be enrolled with a Behavioral Health Agency and they will submit a housing referral to ABC Housing to get onto the AHCCCS Housing list and you will be on the housing list that is maintained by ABC housing. (Achieve does not have access to the housing list nor does Achieve manage the AHCCCS housing program)
- If you are currently living in a literal homeless situation (Emergency Shelter, streets, parks, river, abandoned building, ANY PLACE NOT MENT FOR HABITATION) then you can outreach one of the 3 coordinated entry spots (ACHIEVE, WACOG, NCHP) once a Coordinated Entry Assessment has been completed then your information will auto populate on a By-Name list which is maintained by the Case Conferencing Committee and if your information meets the minimum eligibility for the housing program through Achieve then a referral will be submitted by the Case Conferencing Committee.
My case manager submitted a referral and told me I’d be approved in 6 months and I haven’t heard anything, when am I being approved?
When a referral for housing is submitted to ABC housing for HOMinc housing we tell all clients that a referral for housing is not a guarantee for housing as ABC housing looks for a variety of different things before submitting for approval. A referral for housing is a good first step but just because a referral is submitted does not automatically guarantee that an individual will be approved. Also, there is no time frame for approval as someone could have a referral submitted on 6/5/2021 and not get approved and a different individual could have a referral submitted on 6/15/2021 and be approved. Again, the approval basis from ABC housing is based on what they determine to be a high priority for housing and there is no set time frame for if/when an individual will be approved. ***Achieve no longer manages the AHCCCS Housing program, referrals through behavioral health get submitted to ABC Housing and HOMinc provides the housing assistance. Although Achieve can help provide supportive case management services to individuals that are approved for ABC/HOMinc housing if the client chooses they want to get additional case management services for housing support.
I’m getting evicted/kicked out of where I’m currently living and need to get housing assistance ASAP, how are you going to help?
Achieve does not offer emergency housing in any capacity, individuals must meet all requirements to be approved for the housing program.
I’m homeless living with family/friends and need permanent housing.
If you are living with friends and or family, you do not meet the HUD definition of literal homelessness and you will need to have a referral from a Behavioral Health Home to ABC housing.
How long does the housing from Achieve last?
Achieve Supportive housing does not have specific end date associated with it. We work with our client to get them to a point of self-sufficiency to where they no longer need housing assistance and/or assist them with applying for HUD. We are not intended to be a long-term housing program and do our best to assist individuals gain independence. Achieve will not terminate services to individuals based solely on length of time in services, we are here to help as long as the help is needed.