Governor Tom Wolf today announced a new state program that aims to direct $15 million for an opioid housing initiative that will fund a minimum of eight pilot projects in eligible urban and rural communities throughout the commonwealth. The proposed pilot programs must help individuals to become and remain engaged in evidence-based treatment interventions, provide individuals with the necessary support services to maintain housing stability, and provide pre-tenancy and tenancy education services.
“Through these grants, we are supporting programs that help those working toward recovery find and maintain a place to live and we are offering one of the most basic necessities for a healthy life,” Gov. Wolf said. “For those in or hoping to achieve recovery, a home can be an important factor in finding and continuing treatment and other services.”
A Request for Applications (RFA) for support services navigation and housing services for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) is now available on the commonwealth’s eMarketplace.
Developed by the departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) and Human Services (DHS), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Agency and the Department of Community and Economic Development, the RFA’s goal is “to support innovative practices that will increase access to treatment and supports for individuals with OUD and help prevent overdose-related deaths.”
Housing instability, combined with unmet basic needs, makes the road to recovery and independence extremely challenging. According to national data, about one in five people experiencing homelessness has a chronic substance use disorder. This aligns with information gathered from Pennsylvania’s 45 state-sponsored OUD Centers of Excellence, a majority of which identify housing as a major barrier for their clients.
“We know that each individual seeking treatment is just that – an individual,” said DDAP Secretary Jennifer Smith. “They each have different situations and circumstances hindering their recovery. To truly combat this crisis, we must build capacity to support individuals by providing necessary, supportive wrap-around services like stable housing and case management.”
“The conditions in which a person lives, including access to safe, stable housing, plays a role in a person’s health. When a person experiences homelessness in addition to a substance use disorder, the lack of a secure home is often a barrier to staying engaged with treatment and recovery, if they are able to access treatment at all,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller. “Supporting programs that assist with housing access and stability will help more people stay engaged in treatment and reach recovery.”
The RFA is the first project launched as part of the $55.9 million SAMHSA grant secured to bolster the state’s response to the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic. Additional initiatives included in the grant are focused on expanding services to pregnant women and veterans affected by OUD, developing the treatment and recovery workforce, and strengthening criminal justice and law enforcement initiatives with a focus on reentrant supports.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has distinguished four major dimensions that support a life in recovery: health, home, purpose, and community. This project aims to support two components of the dimensions – home and purpose. By giving an individual a stable, safe place to focus on their recovery, paired with the independence and self-worth that housing provides, an individual’s overall health and wellbeing is greatly improved.
The counties that are eligible locations for pilot programs under the RFA were identified via a formula that equally considered the rate of individuals diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) and rate of overdose-related deaths in a county.
For more information on the RFA, visit the PA eMarketplace.
Find more information on the state’s efforts to battle the opioid crisis here.