The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness stated that Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is an intervention for people who need housing assistance and supportive housing services to live with stability and independence in their communities. Many supportive housing programs use a Housing First Approach and encourage the principles of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Evidence-based Practice toolkit. (USICH, 2014)

The Washington Legislature created the Office of Apple Health & Homes with the passage of HB 1866 (Chapter 216, Laws of 2022), re-focusing the state’s efforts towards increasing the capacity, quality and sustainability of affordable housing units dedicated as PSH. PSH is defined in RCW 36.70a.030 (19). 

Within the AHAH-PSH Office, the new AHAH initiative is administered alongside other PSH-focused programs, which are underway or in development. The Office brings a suite of several programs together to align capacity building, supportive services, rent assistance, and operations/maintenance funding, in order to improve and sustain the quality of PSH units throughout Washington. Below are the programs and initiatives within the AHAH-PSH Office.