What is Transitional Rent?
Transitional Rent provides up to six months of rental assistance for eligible Medi-Cal members experiencing homelessness who meet additional eligibility criteria. Covered costs include rent and housing-related fees like storage, amenities, and landlord-paid utilities that are part of the rent payment.
Transitional Rent is a Medi-Cal Community Support benefit made available through a local Medi-Cal health plan, either, the Central California Alliance for Health or Kaiser Permanente in Santa Cruz County.
Transitional Rent cannot be used to pay for current housing if the Medi-Cal member is only at risk of homelessness, as additional criteria must be met. The member must be transitioning from one living situation to another. Transitional Rent cannot be used for eviction prevention such as prospective or back rent.
Who is Eligible for Transitional Rent?
Eligibility for Transitional Rent is checked and determined by Medi-Cal health plans. If a member is eligible, they will get connected to the Santa Cruz County Housing for Health Division that can coordinate with housing and health providers and issue rental payments for up to six months.
Only certain Medi-Cal members with specific behavioral health needs can receive Transitional Rent at this time. To qualify, the member must be enrolled in a Medi-Cal health plan AND meet all of the following:
- Have behavioral health need
You must meet access criteria for Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS), Drug-Medi-Cal (DMC), or the DMC Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS).
- Have a housing need
You must be homeless (using a federal definition).
- Have a long-term, sustainable housing solution
You must have a confirmed rental unit, documented in a Housing Support Plan, and a way to pay rent after Transitional Rent ends.
- Meet additional requirements
You must meet at least one of the following:
- Be living unsheltered;
- Be eligible for an intensive behavioral health program, such as a Full-Service Partnership; or
- Be transitioning from a setting such as:
- A homeless shelter or interim housing;
- A residential treatment program;
- A hospital or other institutional setting;
- Foster care; or
- A similar temporary placement.
To Get Started
To access Transitional Rent, the individual must be enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care and meet Transitional Rent eligibility criteria.
If the person is not sure if they are enrolled in Medi-Cal or they don’t know their Medi-Cal managed care plan, they can contact State Enrollment Assistance at 1-800-430-4263. For more information on health plan options, visit the Department of Health Care Services webpage.
Applying for and obtaining transitional rent requires finding housing that qualifies and developing a housing support plan. Medi-Cal members that are eligible for transitional rent can get support with these steps through an Enhanced Care Management (ECM) or Housing Community Supports (HCS) provider.
If you or your client are currently enrolled in Central California Alliance for Health you should submit a request online for ECM, HCS, and/or transitional rent at https://thealliance.health/for-providers/community-supports-housing-provider-referral-form/ , or by calling 800-700-3874.
If you or your client are currently enrolled in Kaiser Permanente, the provider can submit a referral form (available online in the provider portal) through email at REGMCDURNs-KPNC@KP.org. Members can also self-refer by calling Kaiser's dedicated CalAIM line at 1-833-721-6012 (Option 2).
You can also contact the Housing for Health Division for questions about this process or the role of the Division in implementing transitional rent. E-mail: info@housingforhealthpartnership.org or Phone: (831) 454-7312.