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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Olmstead Plan and Update

In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision in Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999), indicating that states have a legal obligation to administer programs and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities.The Olmstead decision, and subsequent Department of Justice guidance, recognized that a state may satisfy this obligation through development of a comprehensive, effectively working plan for placing qualified persons with disabilities in less restrictive settings. These plans are known as Olmstead Plans. The Commonwealth’s current Olmstead Plan was finalized in 2008.

Who we serve

The Committee on Housing and Services for People with Disabilities of the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness has made the decision to update the Commonwealth’s existing Olmstead Plan. The ICHH has designated an Olmstead Planning Committee with representatives from the EOHHS agencies, DHCD, and MassHousing to guide the review and development of the new Olmstead Plan.

The Committee will document historical progress toward Olmstead goals, review the state’s present system, identify systemic strengths, barriers and gaps, and prioritize areas to build or improve upon. With broad-based stakeholder engagement and input, the ultimate goal of this process is a comprehensive and representative Olmstead Plan.

The revised Olmstead Plan will provide a roadmap for supporting the housing and service needs of persons with disabilities regardless of age.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), along with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to get comments from a variety of people about updates to the state’s 2018 Olmstead Plan. Here is the link to the RFI: https://www.commbuys.com/bso/external/bidDetail.sdo?docId=BD-24-1039-EHS01-ASHWA-97746&external=true&parentUrl=close.

What would you like to do?

Olmstead Planning Committee Advisory Council  View the Olmstead Implementation Accountability Benchmark  View the 2018 Massachusetts Olmstead Plan 

We want your feedback! 

If you have questions or comments about the 2018 Olmstead Plan or the 2024 update to the Olmstead Plan, please send an email to: olmsteadplancomments@mass.gov

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