New Federal Investment in Homelessness and Addiction Recovery
On Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a substantial $100 million federal initiative targeting homelessness, opioid addiction, and enhancing public safety through recovery programs focused on treatment.
This funding falls under President Donald Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, which aims to address addiction, severe mental health issues, and street homelessness. This announcement follows a recent executive order aiming to tackle crime and disorder in cities across America.
The funding will support the new STREETS initiative—Safety through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-Based Treatment and Support. The primary goal here is to connect those facing addiction and homelessness with necessary treatment, housing, and paths to long-term recovery. The program will offer targeted support, psychiatric care, medical stabilization, and crisis intervention.
President Kennedy noted this initiative represents a significant shift from past federal approaches that have struggled to address increasing addiction, homelessness, and crime rates.
“Addiction begins with loneliness and ends with reconnection,” Kennedy stated. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are bringing Americans suffering from addiction out of the shadows and back into their communities.”
Alongside the STREETS initiative, Kennedy also unveiled a $10 million grant program—Assistance in Outpatient Treatment (AOT)—to aid adults with serious mental illnesses. This program is aimed at those who may not participate in traditional outpatient care and need structured support to safely live within their communities.
According to HHS, outpatient treatment has proven effective in reducing hospitalizations and lowering rates of incarceration and homelessness, ultimately enhancing public safety.
Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that the prevalence of substance use disorders among Americans aged 12 and above increased from 7.4% in 2019 to 16.8% in 2024. Alarmingly, in 2024, around 80% of those with substance use disorders did not receive any treatment.
Kennedy highlighted an additional $794 million in federal funding being distributed through SAMHSA as part of the 2026 block grant allocation, with $319 million designated for comprehensive community mental health services and $475 million earmarked for substance use prevention and recovery programs nationwide.
During his speech at SAMHSA’s Prevention Day, Kennedy spoke openly about his own struggles with addiction, recounting a 14-year battle with heroin starting in his early teens. “It took 43 years to recover,” he reflected, emphasizing that his recovery journey remains central to his life.
He briefly mentioned how addiction impacts families, sharing that many of his own relatives have been affected. “This is a crisis that affects every family in America,” he stated, criticizing prior federal strategies for failing to address the crisis effectively.
“That approach has failed,” Kennedy remarked, arguing that previous efforts focused on fragmented funding rather than holistic pathways to recovery. Now, he said, the administration is shifting its focus towards prevention and evidence-based methods.
Kennedy added that the government is urging faith-based organizations to engage fully in recovery and treatment programs, highlighting their eligibility to compete for grants and funding if they meet necessary evidence-based criteria.
