The Community Living Program

Funded by the U.S. Administration on Community Living (including AoA as of April 2012), the Community Living Program (CLP), formerly known as Nursing Home Diversion (NHD), assists individuals who are at risk of nursing home placement and at risk of spending down their financial assets to receive home and community-based services that will enable them to continue to live in the community. The program supports the Aging Services Network to transform the funding they receive under the Older Americans Act, or other non-Medicaid sources, into flexible, consumer-directed service dollars to support individuals to live in home and community-based settings.

In September 2009, $7 million in grants were awarded to 16 states to implement ACL's Community Living Program. These awards build on prior grants awarded in 2007 and 2008 to 20 states. In total, since 2007, 28 states receieved $23.37 million in federal funding and states matched $11.65 million, for a total investment of over $35 million, not including Older American's Act funds that have been used to provide services. To learn more about the new grantees, please visit the CLP page on the AoA website.

Many Community Living Program grantees are also pursuing a partnership opportunity with the Veterans Health Administration to deliver the Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services Program (VD-HCBS). The VD-HCBS program provides Veterans the opportunity to receive home and community based services that enable them to avoid institutionalization and continue to live in their homes and communities. To learn more about how a community can start a VD-HCBS program, see the VD-HCBS Starter Kit.