Hundreds of Addicts in Recovery About to Be Homeless!

Without warning, OHA announced that they would no longer provide funding (called flex funds) to sober housing agencies providing shelter to individuals in early recovery. The agencies that have been depending on this funding to keep their doors open received notices last week that, not only would OHA not be offering funding moving forward, but all applications that were submitted over the last 2-3 months were going to be denied, leaving these agencies "in the red" and unable to recoup any money that was already owed leaving many them financially crippled.

In a nutshell: The one sensible - and effective - program to help addicts stay sober and safely housed while receiving treatment services is now dead in the water... and there is no plan for a replacement.

For the last several years, individuals who were insured by Oregon Health Plan (Health Share) could ask sober housing agencies to apply for housing funds on their behalf, and they would typically receive a check for $1200-1300. This typically covered two months of rent, and it provided a lifeline for addicts in early recovery who were receiving treatment services or who were not stable enough yet to return to work.

This funding was not "automatic" and the agencies applying for it were required to submit a completed drug and alcohol assessment and a treatment plan, as evidence of current engagement in treatment services. It also required a plan for these individuals to become self sufficient once they've used the funding.

To offer some clarity how it worked: our treatment agency has normally provided "scholarships" for housing that covered the first 30 days of sober living for those in need, then we applied for OHA flex funds, which would cover the next two months of housing. The goal was that, after 90 days of sober support and treatment, and individual would then be capable of finding work and be able to pay for their own housing moving forward.

With all the money that has been shoveled into harm reduction services and programs that don't provide any noticeable improvement, it's infuriating to learn that one of the few successful programs that has helped thousands of recovering addicts get back on their feet is the one they put on the chopping block.

The county has no qualms about providing tents, tarps, clean needles, or other items that do nothing to keep the homeless and addicted off the streets, but they don't want to provide a dime to agencies that promote abstinence and give people safe shelter while they complete a legitimate 90-day drug and alcohol treatment program that has shown good results.

Where we are now: There was a meeting today where shelters and sober housing agencies were told definitively that there would be no more funding for these types of services, even though the agencies made it abundantly clear that most of them would be financially crippled and would need to put all those men, women, and children who no longer had funding back onto the streets. Some of them said they would need to close their doors all-together.

It's difficult to believe that the governor, along with state and county politicians, have any desire at all to tackle the problems of homelessness or addiction in a real or effective manner. But if you need clean needles to inject drugs or foil to smoke fentanyl, they got you covered!