Bridges Rental Assistance The Bridges Rental Assistance Program provides housing assistance for people with very low incomes and a mental illness while they wait for a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) or another rental subsidy. Eligible uses for Bridges funding include temporary rental assistance payments and security deposits paid directly to the landlords on behalf of qualified participants. Priority Population Requirement and Eligibility Criteria Bridges is designed to help people with high needs by providing a housing subsidy that is linked with community mental health services. Administrators must prioritize the following populations with top priority given to people living in an institution or other segregated setting who will be homeless when discharged. These priorities must be included in the housing agency's waiting list selection plan. 1. People living in an institution or other segregated setting who will be homeless when discharged. 2. People experiencing homelessness who are in need of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). This is determined by an approved assessment tool and referred by Coordinated Entry (CE). 3. People who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness. If you meet the priority population requirement above, the basis for Bridges eligibility is: 1. The head of household or other household member must be 18 years of age or over and have a diagnosed Mental Illness as defined in Minn. Stat. 245.462, subd. 20 (a), and that is verified using the Verification of Mental Illness (Form 4 in Program Qualification and Administrative Forms section below). 2. The household is eligible to receive an HCV or can become eligible based on successful participation in the Bridges program. 3. The household's gross income at the time of initial eligibility is at or below 50 percent of the area median income for the household size.