Nursing Home Transition Housing
The Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) provides rental assistance vouchers to low income, non elderly persons with disabilities. The voucher provides a subsidy that can be used to rent a private market apartment anywhere in Massachusetts. AHVP Participants receive one bedroom vouchers (except for an appropriate reasonable accommodation). For more information on the Alternative Housing Voucher Program here, general eligibility requirements or the CHAMP website.
This pre-application is for a pilot program using 50 AHVP vouchers for residents of Skilled Nursing (SNF)certified by Medicaid (MassHealth) who are eligible for AHVP to live in the community. If more than 50 eligible people apply, a lottery will be held to determine who will receive vouchers. If you are chosen, you may be contacted by MassHealth to discuss transition options. To be eligible, you must be 59 years old or younger
- A person with a disability
- Low-income (The lowest income limit across the state is currently $47,150 for a single person)
- Continuously residing in a skilled nursing facility from June 1, 2022 to July 15, 2023
This pre-application does not put you on any waiting lists for standard AHVP. If you would also like to be added to a standard AHVP waitlist, you must do that through CHAMP or your local housing authority. If you pass the pre-screening for this pilot and are chosen, you will then continue to the standard eligibility screening process for AHVP.
Medicaid defines a skilled nursing facility as “A nursing facility with the staff and equipment to give skilled nursing care and, in most cases, skilled rehabilitative services and other related health services” and skilled nursing care as “care like intravenous injections that can only be given by a registered nurse or doctor.” You can check if your place of residence is certified as a skilled nursing facility by going here and entering the name and location of your residence.
You can find the application here.
For a large print version click here.
This application can be submitted online until July 15, 2023
You may also submit this application by mail by sending it to the following address:
Stavros, attn: AHVP pilot
210 Old Farm Road
Amherst, MA 01002
If sending by mail, it must be postmarked by July 15, 2023.
After submitting this application, it will be sent to the Center for Independent Living (CIL) in your area. They will follow up with you to confirm receipt and possibly request more details, including verification of your residence in a Skilled Nursing Facility. The following are equally acceptable forms of verification:
- A verifier fills out and signs the optional “verification” section on the pre-application. A verifier can be your social worker, case worker, care manager, nursing home staff, a doctor, RN, or medical practitioner
- Letter or email from a verifier stating that you reside in a particular skilled nursing facility
- Signature of CIL employee who has personal knowledge that you are a nursing home resident (“Personal knowledge” means that they have first-hand information such as having visited)
- MassHealth statement that establishes residence