The pilot program would provide housing and stability to those who are currently in recovery from substance abuse disorder
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced the publication of the Notice for HUD’s pilot Recovery Housing Program (RHP). The program was authorized by the SUPPORT Act to provide stable, temporary housing to individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder. RHP is funding 25 grantees, 24 states and the District of Columbia, whose age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths was above the national overdose mortality rate.
“As a Nation, we need to remove the stigma associated with substance-use disorder, make access to treatment as easy as access to drugs, and help the whole person,” said Secretary Carson. “HUD’s Recovery Housing Program is bringing new funding and new partners to the fight against the opioid crisis, broadening the spectrum of collaboration among federal, state and local governments and nonprofits and faith-based communities.”
“HUD is proud to support those doing the good work of helping Americans battling with substance use disorder get on the road to recovery, by providing housing – a critical need for those in recovery,” said Assistant Secretary Gibbs.
The RHP Notice provides state grantees the flexibility to carry out activities directly or pass funds through to local governments in rural and urban areas throughout the state. Therefore, grantees can streamline the use of RHP funds, particularly by nonprofits and other subrecipients that currently administer residential programs for persons in recovery from a substance use disorder.
HUD encourages RHP grantees to coordinate with other federal and non-federal assistance related to treating substance use disorder, homelessness and those at-risk of homelessness, employment programs, and other wraparound services. Grantees will be able to target RHP funds towards projects that complement (but do not supplant) federal substance use disorder-related assistance, such as State Opioid Response Grants or Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, HUD is encouraging grantees to partner with other programs that may be assisting these same individuals either before or after their participation in an RHP-funded program, such as HUD’s Continuum of Care Program, Emergency Solutions Grants program, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS Program, and also HUD-VASH, a joint program between HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
For more information on the pilot Recovery Housing Program, please visit HUD’s RHP webpage. Further information, including forthcoming guidance and upcoming Webinars, will be published on HUD.gov and HUDExchange.info as it becomes available.