"SOAR-trained caseworkers help qualifying Americans apply for a few things, primarily SSI), a federal program that provides monthly cash payments to people who are very poor and unable to work - typically because they're disabled. Last year, SOAR-trained caseworkers helped about 3,000 people access benefits to pay for housing and treatment, according to data from Policy Research Associates (PRA), a private organization that offers similar training. Getting on to SSI also clears a path for access to other supports that keep people from being homeless - like Medicaid and SNAP, or food assistance."
"Where it stands: Without the money, the onus for this work is on the states - similar to what is expected to happen with cuts to SNAP and Medicaid as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Many states can't afford to take it on. Zoom in: The funding for the national program was about $2.6 million a year, according to PRA data. It helped keep people from becoming homeless. The program is generally seen as very effective - Veterans Affairs recommends this training in some cases. "We're talking about assisting the most vulnerable folks in the country; the cost was not much compared to the complexity and need," says Yvonne Perret, who first developed the model for SOAR in the 1990s in Maryland and continues to do training in that state."
""While this initiative provided valuable technical assistance and training to SOAR providers across states and territories, it did not include direct federal funding to state-level programs, which have been sustained through state-based resources,""
Federal funds supported training for SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery) to help caseworkers assist eligible Americans in applying for SSI and related benefits. SOAR-trained workers helped about 3,000 people last year access benefits used for housing and treatment. SSI eligibility also facilitates access to Medicaid and SNAP, reducing homelessness risk. The national SOAR contract funding ended Aug. 18, and HHS said it never provided direct funding to states. The program cost about $2.6 million annually and is widely seen as effective; many states may lack resources to sustain the work without federal support.
Read at Axios
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]