Making Shelters and Supplemental Security Income Work

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is requesting information from the public regarding the unique needs of homeless Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, particularly those who live in public emergency shelters for the homeless, in an effort to better understand and address their needs. The SSI program provides a minimum income level for aged, blind, or disabled persons who do not have income or resources above levels specified in the Social Security Act (Act). Comments are due by March 2, 2012

Below are of quesitons they are looking to have people address with their comments:

1. What is your experience with SSI recipients in homeless shelters?

2. In your experience, do both public and private homeless shelters meet the needs of the homeless in the same way? If they differ in how they meet the needs of the homeless, how do they differ?

3. Do individuals rely on public emergency shelters exclusively to address short-term needs, or is transitioning out of such shelters into permanent housing becoming more difficult? Is the short-term assistance provided by public emergency shelters meeting the transitional needs of SSI recipients?

4. What specific needs do public emergency shelters meet?

5. Do public emergency shelters usually address the health care needs of individuals in the shelter? To what extent do individuals in public emergency shelters rely on Medicaid to meet their health care needs?

6. Do residents of public emergency shelters usually lose their Medicaid coverage if they stay longer than 6 consecutive months and their SSI is suspended?

7. Do current SSI eligibility rules present obstacles to homeless individuals who are in need of emergency shelter?

8. Do current SSI eligibility rules present obstacles to individuals who are trying to transition from a public emergency shelter to a permanent living arrangement?

9. After residing in a public emergency shelter for 6 months, do SSI recipients tend to remain there until they can transition to a permanent living arrangement or do they consider other options?

Please see link below for the complete notice and questions asked:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-12/html/2012-406.htm