U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Wednesday more than $700 million in funding opportunities aimed at tackling mental illness, addiction and homelessness across the U.S.
The funding expands President Donald Trump‘s Great American Recovery Initiative, a White House program launched in January 2026 to coordinate the federal response to drug addiction, treatment and long-term recovery.
Kennedy announced the funding during a visit to an Easterseals MORC Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic in Clinton Township, Michigan.
The package includes a new $96 million program called Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support, or STREETS, along with roughly $612 million for additional behavioral health programs.
Some policy experts said parts of the newly announced funding may come from grants previously approved by Congress, raising questions about how much of the package represents entirely new money, according to Reuters.
New Funding Targets Homelessness And Addiction
The STREETS program, run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, will provide eight communities up to $3 million annually over four years to build coordinated treatment and recovery systems for homeless individuals with substance use disorders, serious mental illness or both.
The initiative is designed to bring together local governments, healthcare providers, housing services, law enforcement and courts to move people from the streets into treatment and recovery.
“Through more than $700 million in new investments, we are advancing President Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative and addressing the addiction and serious mental illness that fuel homelessness across America,” Kennedy said.
One notable policy detail is that programs receiving STREETS funding may not use housing-first approaches or certain harm reduction services.
Behavioral Health Funding Expands Nationwide
The broader package includes $223.1 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, or CCBHCs, to expand community-based mental health and addiction care through improvement, implementation and state planning grants.
HHS also allocated $238.6 million for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the national mental health crisis hotline, including funding to improve local response capacity, tribal support and post-crisis follow-up services.
Another $80 million will support addiction prevention, treatment and recovery programs, including rural opioid response, youth overdose prevention and care for pregnant and postpartum women.
More than $70 million will fund additional mental health services, including mobile crisis teams, childhood trauma care, tribal suicide prevention and early intervention programs.
Affordability And Access Remain Key Issues
The announcement comes as healthcare affordability remains under pressure across the U.S.
Recent Gallup and West Health data showed only 49% of U.S. adults could consistently afford healthcare and prescription drugs in 2025, the lowest level in five years.
Mental health access remains a major challenge as well. Financial stress is also worsening mental health for many Americans. A recent Achieve and Money.com survey found 34% of Americans struggle to meet monthly debt payments, while many reported anxiety, sleep problems and delayed medical care.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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