About this archived opportunity

Through this round of BHBH Program funding, DHCS is making available more than $20 million to eligible applicants in California to operate bridge housing settings to address the immediate housing needs of individuals in tribal communities experiencing homelessness who have serious behavioral health conditions, including serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder (SUD). The BHBH Program was signed into law in September 2022 under Assembly Bill (AB) 179 (Ting, Chapter 249, Statutes of 2022). Capital funding has recently been made available through several other state programs, including the Homekey Tribal Program; the Tribal Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program; the Community Care Expansion Program; and the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program. In contrast to these programs, BHBH Program funding is primarily intended to support the operational costs of bridge housing that is provided in conjunction with supportive mental health and SUD services. An eligible applicant may implement bridge housing in a variety of settings that may be either directly leased or owned by the eligible applicant or by a partnership in which the eligible applicant acts as the lead, as described in Section 3, below. All BHBH programs must meet BHBH Program requirements described in this RFA and attachments and within the funding timeline. The primary focus of the BHBH Program is to help people experiencing homelessness who have either SMI or SUD that prevents them from otherwise accessing help and moving out of homelessness. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate how they will reach populations that are most in need of the BHBH Program. BHBH Program funding is being made available through multiple RFAs. Through the second round, DHCS has awarded nine grants to tribal entities. This RFA is a re-release of the second round of funds. The final anticipated round will provide $235 million in competitive funding and has a tentative release date of early 2025. DHCS has engaged Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), a consulting and research firm focused on improving health and human services systems, to serve as the administrative entity supporting the implementation of the BHBH Program. AHP has engaged additional consultants with experience specific to serving the Native American and tribal communities in California to support BHBH Program implementation. AHP will provide general grant training and technical assistance (TTA) during the application process and throughout the life of the project.