AUGUSTA - Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, introduced a measure on Monday before the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee that would establish a homeless substance use disorder service program.
LD 1781 would build on the success of the Homeless Opioid Users Service Engagement (HOUSE) pilot project within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that provided stable housing and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for some of the most vulnerable opioid users in Maine for 24 months. The new legislation would expand SUD treatment access, providing transportation, community services and inpatient treatment services. DHHS would be required to report back to the Legislature's committees of jurisdiction on the program every two years, beginning Jan. 2, 2025, including details on the number of successful participants and descriptions of services provided.
"Housing is a critical component of substance use disorder treatment," said Gattine. "People with substance use disorder who are experiencing homelessness have unique challenges in accessing services and are particularly susceptible to overdoses and death. Traditional case management systems are unsuitable for homeless individuals experiencing acute symptoms of substance use disorder. More intensive, low-barrier approaches like this legislation are needed."
A survey by MaineHousing identified that 4,411 individuals were experiencing homelessness last year in Maine. In the January 2022 report, 1,734 of these individuals self-identified as having behavioral health issues, including serious mental illness and substance use disorder.
Nonprofit organizations including Community Housing of Maine and Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services testified in support of the bill. Additional testimony can be found here.
"Members of this population with long-term homelessness are up to 29 times more likely to be in the hospital, and up to 57 times more likely to be in jail when unhoused, than when housed," said Cullen Ryan, executive director of Community Housing of Maine. "Simply put, this population ricochets through our most expensive emergency systems when unhoused. No one will get well without housing, and no one will be successful in recovery without housing and sufficient support. It is stability in housing, coupled with a progression towards an adequate support network, that become foundational to someone's success in their recovery."
The committee will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.
Gattine is serving his fifth non-consecutive term in the Maine House and represents parts of Westbrook, Scarborough and Saco. He is a member of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and the Joint Select Committee on Housing.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Gattine], c. 305-965-2744