Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) welcomed today’s announcement by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that New Hampshire has been chosen to host two USDA pilot programs that will improve access to affordable transitional housing to people in recovery for substance use disorders. One of the programs, announced today by the USDA, would make USDA owned properties available for purchase at below market value rates to qualified non-profits providing housing to homeless people in recovery. The other pilot program would increase access to affordable USDA rental units by making rental assistance available if they are occupied by a person taking part in a drug court program.

“No one can be successful in recovery from a substance use disorder if they don’t have a place to safely and comfortably call home,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “As I’ve met with treatment providers and recovery experts throughout New Hampshire, I’ve heard time and time again about the challenges of finding housing for those in recovery. Today’s announcement by Secretary Vilsack is an important step toward supporting all aspects of the recovery process.”

As the cofounder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, Congresswoman Kuster has been leading the charge to address the opioid addiction epidemic in New Hampshire. She was instrumental in the fight to pass 18 bills in the House to address the opioid crisis as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). In recognition of her leadership on this issue, Kuster was appointed to the conference committee that worked to combine the House bills with a Senate counterpart to produce the final version of CARA that was signed into law.

###