A CoC project may condition continued participation on taking part in supportive services, but never on disability-related services; a substance abuse treatment project is the single exception

coc.tenant_selection.participation_in_disability_related_services_may_not_be_required · v1.0.0

This is the regulation's low-barrier provision, and it is narrower and sharper than the phrase 'Housing First' suggests. Recipients and subrecipients MAY require program participants to take part in supportive services AS A CONDITION OF CONTINUED PARTICIPATION -- but only services THAT ARE NOT DISABILITY-RELATED SERVICES provided through the project. The regulation gives examples of what it means by disability-related: mental health services, outpatient health services and provision of medication, provided to a person with a disability to address a condition caused by the disability. Requiring any of those as a condition of staying housed is outside what the section permits. ONE EXCEPTION is stated: if the PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT is to provide substance abuse treatment services, participants may be required to take part in such services as a condition of continued participation. The distinction a specialist has to hold is between a service the project may make mandatory (a case management meeting, a rent-payment plan) and one it may only offer.

Confidence

high

Effective from

2012-08-30

Consequence model

agency finding with cure

Last reviewed

2026-08-31