Initiatives Funded with Opioid Settlement Dollars

June 12, 2025

 (TRENTON) – Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman today announced the award of over $3.67 million in contracts — funded by New Jersey’s opioid settlement funds — to develop temporary housing and case management services in a supportive environment for adults recently discharged from inpatient settings and unhoused with a substance use disorder (SUD). 

“Individuals’ basic needs are interconnected—health is compromised without stable housing and this is particularly true for those with substance use disorder in underserved areas,” said Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman, who chairs the State’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council. “These funds, which are opioid settlement dollars in action, will promote access to safe, supportive, and stable environments that help individuals build the foundation for sustained recovery. This is about promoting recovery through a whole-person approach.”

Funds for the implementation of temporary housing services for adults with SUD were awarded to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark in Hudson County; Eva’s Village, Inc. in Passaic County; Homeless Solutions, Inc. in Morris County; New Beginnings Behavioral Health in Camden County; Real House, Inc. in Essex County; and The Rescue Mission of Trenton in Mercer County. Awards collectively total $2,737,500, which will serve 450 individuals following completion of SUD treatment in an environment that is supportive of their continued recovery.

Additionally, funds for the implementation of case management services were awarded to Integrity, Inc.; North Jersey AIDS Alliance North Jersey Community Research Initiative; Oaks Integrated Care; and The Rescue Mission of Trenton, totaling $960,000.

Funds will target individuals staying in the aforementioned temporary housing and will be used to ensure they are connected with permanent housing as quickly as possible. Case management services will be personalized and individuals will be assisted with essential services such as applying for SNAP, SSI, assessing physical health and dental services, and transportation to services. 80 individuals are expected to be served.

Participants will also receive access to permanent housing subsidies provided by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), helping achieve stable housing and support long-term recovery.

“This is about saving lives. We are committed to offering services and supports that serve as a bridge to permanent housing for adults in recovery,” said Deputy Commissioner for Health Services Valerie Mielke. “Recognizing housing as a key social determinant of health is essential to effective treatment and service planning, and these contracts help ensure a strong continuum of care through the establishment of a home.”

“Research shows that improving access to safe, stable housing, transportation, healthy food, education, and economic opportunities significantly improves recovery outcomes,” said DMHAS Assistant Commissioner Renee Burawski. “These contracts support that goal by creating pathways from temporary to permanent housing, especially in historically underserved communities. We’re proud to be part of this progress for those in need.”

These contracts implement housing investments that were among over $120 million in opioid settlement fund allocations announced by Governor Murphy in 2024. The New Jersey Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council identified safe, stable, and supportive housing as a priority for opioid settlement investments in its recently issued Strategic Plan.

Anyone struggling with substance use disorder is encouraged to call 1-844-ReachNJ, a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week helpline.