Pubdate: Thu, 23 Jul 2015
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Vancouver 24 hrs.
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Stefania Seccia
Page: 5

HOUSING NOT ENOUGH TO CURB DRUGS: STUDY

Housing interventions does nothing to reduce drug abuse, despite
carrying some benefits for the homeless and mentally ill, according to
a two-year study out of Simon Fraser University.

Julian Somers, SFU health sciences professor, and his team monitored
the substance use of nearly 500 individuals randomized into two groups
- - one group received independent housing along with support services,
known as housing first, while the other received regular treatment.

Housing first is a model developed to support people who are both
homeless and mentally ill, by providing them with choices about where
to live and other resources to help them achieve long-term recovery,
Somers explained.

"Having a place of one's own may serve as a motivator for this cohort
to refrain from drug and alcohol abuse, but our study indicates this
is not the case," he said, surprised by the results.

"In the case of substance use, it may be that there are not enough
treatment resources available, and so even if people want to overcome
their drug use they have limited opportunity to get help."

Somers said additional addiction treatment as part of social housing
would help.

"I think Vancouver stands out for having relatively limited
development in the area of addiction," he said. "Roughly one-quarter
of our sample didn't use drugs at all, but the majority did."

It's the first time the impact of housing interventions on drug use
has been examined.

Somers added the benefits identified include how the housing first
study group were "stably housed" more of the time, saw fewer emergency
room visits and run-ins with police.
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MAP posted-by: Matt