Funding for transitional housing for those in opioid recovery available

Funding for transitional housing has been made available.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz announced that USDA and HHS will partner to create addiction recovery transitional housing in rural communities.

“Strong and healthy communities are foundational for prosperity in rural America,” Hazlett said. “Under the leadership of President Trump, we are committed at USDA to building innovative partnerships and driving more effective and efficient use of our resources to address the opioid misuse crisis at the local level.”

McCance-Katz said, “We know that the opioid crisis has hit rural communities hard, and we need to leverage all possible partnerships to support these communities. Housing plays a vital part in the recovery process for those living with opioid use disorders.”

In a release, USDA and HHS say that nonprofit organizations will be able to purchase homes from USDA and convert them to transitional housing for people recovering from opioid misuse.

According to the agencies, USDA Rural Development and HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will coordinate efforts to sell USDA’s Real Estate Owned (REO) single-family housing properties at a discount to non-profit organizations that provide housing, treatment, job training and other key services for people in substance misuse treatment and recovery.

This is an extension of the organizations’ established collaboration that began in 2018 with SAMHSA’s supplementing of USDA Cooperative Extension grants to expand technical assistance and training on opioid use disorder prevention and treatment.

In the release it states that this funding follows directive from President Donald J. Trump to address opioid misuse by directing the declaration of a nationwide Public Health Emergency.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and healthcare; and high-speed internet e-Connectivity in rural areas.

For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.