RFK Jr unveils $100M plan to tackle addiction, homelessness and mental illness

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a $100 million STREETS Initiative to connect people experiencing addiction and homelessness with treatment, housing and recovery supports, and also unveiled a $10 million grant for assisted outpatient treatment as part of broader SAMHSA funding for 2026.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a $100 million federal investment to connect people experiencing homelessness and substance use to treatment and housing. The funding is part of the Great American Recovery Initiative and follows an executive order issued last week addressing crime and disorder on U.S. streets. The money will fund the STREETS Initiative, intended to provide outreach, psychiatric care, medical stabilization and crisis intervention. Kennedy also announced a $10 million Assisted Outpatient Treatment grant and outlined SAMHSA block grant allocations for 2026. What we know: - The administration announced a $100 million STREETS Initiative (Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Supports) to link people struggling with addiction and homelessness to treatment, housing and long-term recovery. - The STREETS Initiative is described as providing targeted outreach, psychiatric care, medical stabilization and crisis intervention. - A separate $10 million grant program for Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) was announced; AOT is a court-ordered, community-based program intended for adults with serious mental illness who do not engage in traditional outpatient care. - The Department of Health and Human Services said assisted outpatient treatment has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and lower incarceration and homelessness rates, while improving public safety outcomes. - SAMHSA’s first 2026 block grant allocation was noted at $794 million, with $319 million earmarked for community mental health services and $475 million for substance use prevention, treatment and recovery programs. - Federal survey data cited in the announcement show substance use disorder among people ages 12 and older rose from 7.4% in 2019 to 16.8% in 2024, and nearly eight in ten people with a substance use disorder in 2024 did not receive treatment. Summary: The administration presented the funding and programs as a shift toward treatment-focused responses to addiction, serious mental illness and street homelessness and highlighted both prevention and recovery supports. The announced money will flow through SAMHSA and include competitive grants, but detailed timelines and implementation steps were not provided; Undetermined at this time.