Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania reintroduced The Homelessness and Behavioral Health Care Coordination Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The act would authorize grants within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help state and local governments, tribal entities, public housing agencies, and continuums of care better coordinate services for behavioral health, including substance use disorder and homelessness, according to a Feb. 3 news release on Ms. Dean's website.
"As Pennsylvanians, and communities everywhere, face the crises of homelessness and substance use disorder, the rate of homelessness more than doubled in Montgomery County last year," Ms. Dean said. "It was crucial to reintroduce this legislation that can more holistically support people with housing, recovery, and mental and behavioral health."
The act is cosponsored by Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas.
California Sen. Alex Padilla is heading a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.