Many successful lawsuits against the distributors of pharmaceutical opioids have resulted in tens of billions of dollars in settlement funds for states and localities to address the opioid crisis. Among the approved uses for these funds is the development of housing, including supportive housing, for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) and families impacted by OUD.

Supportive housing, which combines affordable housing with services, is one option that has been proven to be particularly helpful for people experiencing homelessness and/or institutionalization, who are also dealing with SUD, co-occurring mental health conditions, and other complex challenges. This brief highlights examples of how opioid settlement funds have been used to create or expand supportive housing initiatives.