NARR Advocacy Committee Report 2015-2016

NARR Advocacy Goals for 2015-2016 Advocate for $100 million annual allocation to HUD for recovery housing subsidies for people who need affordable housing assistance Advocate for $2 million allocation to NIH to support research on recovery housing Advocate for a Congressional Forum on Addiction and Recovery Housing in 2016 Lori In a policy brief released in December 2015, HUD recognized “the importance of providing individual choice to support various paths towards recovery. Some people pursuing recovery from addiction express a preference for an abstinence-focused residential or housing program where they can live among and be supported by a community of peers who are also focused on pursuing recovery from addiction–environments that are provided by Recovery Housing programs.”  In fact, however, HUD does not currently have an allocation to support recovery housing.  In a recent webinar hosted by CMS, Ann Oliva, HUD SNAPS Director, said that HUD would fund recovery housing if they had an allocation for it, but right now HUD resources are targeted specifically to ending homelessness through Housing First, a model where admission practices promote the acceptance of applicants regardless of their sobriety or use of substances, completion of treatment, and participation in services.

Housing recognized as a recovery support in CARA Recovery Housing Policy Progress 2015-2016 Housing recognized as a recovery support in CARA White House included strategies at HUD and USICH on housing for people with SUDs as part of their efforts to address opiate public health crisis THUD Appropriations Bill amended to specifically include RH Promoted Housing Choice and the NARR Quality Standards in national policy forums including webinars with Faces and Voices of Recovery, CMS Innovation Accelerator Program

Podcasts on Recovery Housing with C4 Recovery Housing Policy Progress 2015-2016 Podcasts on Recovery Housing with C4 NARR actively participating in advocacy coalitions with Faces & Voices of Recovery and Facing Addiction Publications including Recovery Housing: CSH/NCBH, HUD, NCBH/TAC

National Resources on Recovery Housing

HUD Policy Brief on Recovery Housing released December 2015 Recovery housing can and should be an integral part of the system for those who want an abstinence-focused, peer-supported community

Congressional Forum on Recovery Housing Recovery Housing Policy: Emerging Opportunites Congressional Forum on Recovery Housing being developed for early 2017 Policy Forum on Recovery Housing State policies on recovery housing Federal policies including fair housing, the ADA, HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, IMD Rule, HUD’s policy brief and CoC funding High risk areas such as patient brokering, inducement, tenant landlord laws, zoning and building code, housing with IOP

Get involved! If you’re interested in the NARR Advocacy Committee, send a note to Lori Criss, Advocacy Committee Chair at Lori@OhioRecoveryHousing.org