Permanent Supportive Housing has come a long way since VHA’s first State of Supportive Housing In Virginia report in 2010. Together, we have worked to increase and align resources resulting in over 2,200 new permanent supportive housing units between 2014 and 2020. Additional accomplishments include: 

• Since 2019, 10% of all rental housing produced by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program administered by Virginia Housing includes a preference for PSH special populations 

• The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Affordable and Special Needs Program implemented targeted pre-development grants for PSH units. 

• The Virginia Housing Trust Fund provides a scoring preference for loans and grant funding targeted to PSH. 

• Planning is underway for the Department of Medicaid Assistance Services High Needs Support that will help cover tenancy support services for eligible populations in the coming years.

However, as the findings of this report indicate, there is much more work to be accomplished in the coming years. We estimate that Virginia needs over 17,500 units of supportive housing to meet the needs of people served in crisis and institutional systems. Additionally, new supportive housing units are needed across all regions of Virginia – requiring an increased focus on building a robust, statewide delivery system that can provide the resources and coordination across partners to develop models that work for urban, suburban, and rural communities. VHA and our partners are advancing supportive housing as an approach for change that addresses the root cause of inequity, creates more innovative and integrated systems and builds stronger communities.