rural communities

On June 22, 2022 The Biden Administration through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released a first-of-its-kind package of resources to address unsheltered homelessness and homeless encampments, including funds specifically to address homelessness in rural communities. The $365 million package includes grant funds and vouchers that will enhance communities’ capacity to address unsheltered homelessness by connecting vulnerable individuals and families to housing, health care, and supportive services. This initiative promotes partnerships with health care organizations, public housing authorities and mainstream housing providers, and people with lived experience and expertise of homelessness.

Experts at The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the state of Tennessee say families in poverty with disabilities in Tennessee and nationwide face difficulty both accessing and utilizing long term services and supports (LTSS) in both rural and urban areas. This article breaks down issues of accessibility across the country by discussing how affordable housing, transportation, and social determinants of health affect individuals differently based on their ability and region.

This report discusses how HHS can help rural service providers cope with the challenges of meeting the demand for home and community-based services in rural areas. Specifically, GAO recommends the consolidation of information regarding promising practices to allow local officials and rural service providers to more readily access this information.

During this webinar, the Evidence-Based Leadership Collaborative (http://www.eblcprograms.org/) provided insight into the value of evidence-based programs. The EBLC highlighted rural communities who have demonstrated implementation success using community programs, 1:1 intervention and other program models. They also provided an overview of the ways Title III and other resources can be leveraged to improve access and sustain the work.