Late on Tuesday, January 13, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)—terminated hundreds of grant-funded programs with no notice, effective immediately. Less than 24 hours later, the administration reversed course, reinstating the grants with little explanation. These actions created widespread instability and confusion for providers and communities, including Health Care for the Homeless Programs nationwide.

Estimates suggest that up to $2 billion in grants were targeted—which provide life-saving prevention and treatment services to individuals and families across the country. Programs impacted include those addressing suicide prevention, youth overdose prevention, pregnancy/postpartum treatment, mental health training, children’s mental health initiatives, medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, prescription drug treatment, as well as dozens of others.

The National Health Care for the Homeless Council strongly opposes any cuts to this critical funding. These cuts would have killed people.

The Health Care for the Homeless Community uses these funds to provide drug treatment, supportive employment and recovery services, street outreach, re-entry services, mobile treatment, specialty court programs, and more. Canceling these programs would sever access to care for many vulnerable people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, increasing overdoses and other negative outcomes in communities nationwide.

These cuts would have harmed entire communities. Revoking $2 billion from critical services would have an immediate, harmful impact. Programs would be forced to close, staff laid off, and the benefits these programs deliver to entire communities lost. This approach to funding decisions is inconsistent with the stability and care required to safeguard public health.

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