Federal Initiative Could Boost Recovery Housing in Rural Areas

Nonprofit groups serving rural communities have a new opportunity to develop transitional housing for individuals in recovery from opioid misuse.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week announced a partnership under which nonprofits will be eligible to purchase single-family homes from the USDA and convert them to transitional recovery housing.

A spokesman for HHS's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) referred Addiction Professional to the Agriculture Department; a spokesman there says nonprofits may need to demonstrate to HHS that they have experience addressing opioid misuse recovery in a transitional setting.

The president of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) expresses hope about the initiative's potential. “We've had conversations with USDA about this, and it is a very promising development,” Dave Sheridan, longtime leader in Southern California's Sober Living Network, tells Addiction Professional. “Our discussions have been focused on workforce and other operating issues important to rural providers.”

The USDA spokesman says the program is available now and will continue indefinitely; the agency will be looking for buyers with experience in transitional housing. The agency has not set quantitative goals for the development of recovery housing, with the spokesman explaining that “the right fit and situation for transitional housing units is more important than the number of homes.”

According to a news release from SAMHSA, it and the USDA Rural Development office will coordinate efforts to sell USDA Real Estate Owned single-family home properties at a discount to nonprofits that offer treatment, housing and other supports to people in recovery.

SAMHSA began collaborating with the USDA last year by supplementing the agency's Cooperative Extension grants in order to expand training on the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorders.

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

Last December, the USDA launched a Community Opioid Misuse Toolbox that includes an interactive database to assist community leaders in evaluating the effects of the opioid crisis in their regions.