Housing Works Gets Funding for Opioid Treatment Initiative

The Foundation for Opioid Response (FORE) and the New York Community Trust have announced that they will provide $750,000 in funding to Housing Works for a program designed to improve retention and adherence to medications among homeless and other at-risk populations for opioid use disorder.

FORE is providing $600,000, and New York Community Trust is providing $150,000. The funds will support analyses that help sustain the program, efforts to maintain access to MAT during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to learn from recent changes in care, such as the widespread transition to telehealth. Housing Works will also be able to expand a toolkit of behavioral health interventions and social supports to high-risk communities, and track, evaluate and communicate about efforts to maintain access to treatment.

“Decades of research show overwhelming evidence that medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), when provided promptly, can save lives and reduce overall health care spending,” Housing Works president Matthew Bernardo said in a news release. “New York did the right thing by easing restrictions around MOUD in response to the COVID pandemic. These policies impact low-income people, communities of color, and others who have suffered most from the opioid crisis.

“Housing Works will leverage funding from FORE and The New York Community Trust to continue providing lifesaving care and deepen the evidence base for these crucial harm reduction policies.”