Demystifying Medicaid for Housing and Homelessness Providers in New Jersey

The NJ FamilyCare Housing Supports Program, which was authorized via New Jersey’s current 1115 demonstration waiver, opened in July 2025 with the goal of helping individuals with Medicaid and insecure housing find and keep housing. The initiative, like so many similar programs launched through 1115 waivers across the country, recognizes the outsized impact of housing as a critical social determinant of health.

Joy Street Consulting was brought on by three separate community-based nonprofit agencies in New Jersey to help them navigate the complex and foreign world of Medicaid to become successful Housing Supports providers. Joy Street’s role at each agency has included: creating models to inform financial planning for Medicaid as a new revenue source; drafting or updating the array of internal policies required for Medicaid compliance; and collaborating closely with the agency to outline workflows for Housing Supports service delivery and claims submissions. Importantly, we’re also creating and delivering a set of comprehensive of trainings and tools to enable these clients’ frontline team members to successfully meet the unfamiliar demands of Housing Supports service authorization and documentation so that they can get services to the people who need them as soon as possible.

Joy Street is providing project management support for each agency, as well as guidance and tools aimed at “demystifying” Medicaid for these non-traditional Medicaid providers.

This engagement is still a work in progress. We look forward to sharing its impact in 2026!