The House of Representatives will vote Thursday, June 14 on H.R. 5735, the “Transitional Housing for Recovery in Viable Environments Demonstration Program (THRIVE) Act,” introduced by Representative Andy Barr (R-KY). Despite the bill’s worthy goal of helping individuals struggling with substance use disorders, it has significant flaws.
Please call your representatives and ask them to vote “no” on the THRIVE bill.
Background
H.R. 5735 aims to provide housing resources for people entering into recovery housing for substance use disorders.
Because it provides no additional funding, however, the bill diverts scarce resources away from the lowest income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, and other individuals who are also in critical need of housing assistance.
By allowing entities that provide drug treatment services, not public housing authorities, to administer housing vouchers, H.R. 5735 would make it difficult for HUD to properly oversee and monitor the program. Moreover, HUD is not the appropriate federal agency to establish standards for substance use recovery. Rather, the Department of Health and Human Services should lead on this effort.
The bill also allows service providers to impose arbitrary time limits, which are counterproductive. Time limits would only cut people off from the very housing benefits that make it possible for them to maintain their sobriety post-treatment.
You can read NLIHC’s written statement on the bill at: https://bit.ly/2kYzTur
Take Action
Please call your representatives and urge them to vote “no” on H.R. 5735. Find representatives’ contact information at: https://bit.ly/2rr1AkV