Earlier in February, the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide $100 million to fund a pilot program in order to tackle homelessness and substance abuse in eight cities, following an executive order by Donald Trump. The pilot, called STREETS, or Safety Through Recovery, Engagement and Evidence-Based Treatment and Supports, is aimed at helping people who are both homeless and mentally ill or addicted.
However, the initiative has also faced criticism from addiction experts. In her interview with WTOP news, Regina LaBelle, director of the Center on Addiction and Public Policy at Georgetown Law’s O’Neill Institute, said that while many advocates support the idea, its effectiveness will depend on how and where the funding is implemented. She also questioned how it is financed and whether it could divert resources from programs that have already reduced overdose deaths.
Furthermore, over the past year, approximately one-third of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 900 employees have been laid off. The agency and its partners are still recovering from last month’s abrupt reversal that temporarily cut, and then quickly reinstated $2 billion in mental health and substance abuse grants. Furthermore, health experts and advocates have voiced concerns that the instability has made it difficult to plan for the future.
In a press release, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the department is “focused on reform and ensuring that federal resources are used effectively, responsibly, and in ways that deliver real results for those struggling and their families.” He added, “As part of the Great American Recovery announced just last week, HHS is moving forward with new funding, expanded flexibilities, and targeted actions that strengthen the mental health and substance use treatment system and provide greater support for providers on the ground.”
According to Kennedy, “substance abuse drives homelessness.” He also said the federal government will create funding opportunities, such as state opioid response grants, and faith-based organizations. “We are bringing faith-based providers fully into this work,” he said. “This is a chronic disease. It’s a physical disease, it’s a mental disease, it’s emotional disease, but above all, it’s spiritual disease. And we need to recognize that and faith-based organizations play a critical role.”
