HAC Report Connects Substance Use and Homelessness
Housing Assistance Corporation has published the white paper âCloser to Home: Substance Abuse Treatment Options for the Homeless on the Cape and Islands.â The report is the first in an ongoing effort by HAC to develop white papers to help the Cape and Islands make informed decisions about the future of housing for the regionâs diverse population. HAC is highlighting substance use disorder in this report because it is an illness that is pervasive among our clients; itâs affected about 80 percent of our shelter guests and many of the other people we help with housing issues.  The March 23, 2016 press release states “The supply of substance abuse treatment in Massachusetts is being outpaced by demand, resulting in bottlenecking at all levels of care. The problem is worse on the Cape Cod and the Islands, where services are limited by capacity, scope, payment methods and the travel distances needed to get help. While these problems pose difficulties for the average resident, they are greatly exacerbated for people experiencing homelessness. Read More…
