California Bill Would Allow Funding for Drug-Free Recovery Homes

The state’s ‘housing first’ policy excluded such homes in favor of getting addicts off the streets. But mixing users with those seeking sobriety poses risks.

An outreach volunteer checks on the well-being of homeless drug addicts in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco on May 16, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

For nearly a decade, drug-free recovery centers in California have been cut off from state funds after a “housing first” model was adopted, prioritizing housing for the homeless over sobriety.

But as the state still faces a drug and homelessness crisis, lawmakers have realized a change is needed.