Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust Awarded up to $12 Million in Federal STREETS Funding, One of Only Eight Communities Selected Nationwide

Enhanced and Integrated Street-Based Behavioral Health Care Will Further Address Unsheltered Homelessness in Miami's Urban Core

MIAMI-DADE (October 5, 2026) – Up to $12 million in federal funding is being awarded to the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust to lead a comprehensive, street-based outreach and integrated behavioral health services team to engage and treat unsheltered individuals with severe mental illness and substance use disorders in Miami's urban core.

The grant, issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) through its Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS) program, names the Homeless Trust as one of only eight communities selected nationwide. The organization will receive $3 million a year for up to four years, part of a $96 million federal investment.

The Homeless Trust, the lead agency for Miami-Dade County's Homeless Continuum of Care, will lead and monitor the program called the Miami Safe Streets Collaborative (MSSC) to support coordinated, street-based engagement, treatment, and recovery services for people who are homeless and living with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, or both. MSSC brings together local government, health and housing providers, law enforcement, and the courts to execute the effort.

"My deepest gratitude to SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Administration for recognizing the work of the Trust and its partners. This grant is part of a missing link to help the Homeless Trust further drive down homelessness in Miami's urban core," said Ron Book, Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. "The Miami Safe Streets Collaborative will be intertwined with the new Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery, and I want to thank Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava and the Board of County Commissioners for their efforts to expand access to mental health care and improve public safety."

The project will serve unsheltered individuals in Downtown Miami, Overtown, Little Havana, Allapattah, and Wynwood/Edgewater, with a focus on engagement, treatment, and recovery support services for individuals who have serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, substance use disorders, or co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. According to data from the City of Miami Police Department, this population accounted for 1,642 crisis calls, 1,268 narcotics calls and 4,568 homeless contacts in 2026.

MSSC organizations include New Hope C.O.R.P.S, The Advocate Program, Camillus Health Concern, and Behavioral Science Research, which will evaluate the processes and outcomes of MSSC activities.

Essential elements of MSSC will include:

• Multidisciplinary mobile outreach: Teams will use hotspot mapping to reach people where they are. They will provide immediate clinical assessments and overdose prevention with warm handoffs to treatment.
• Rapid access to care: People will be connected to evidence-based treatment, including medications and psychosocial services. Personalized plans will include help with legal and benefits navigation.
• Recovery-oriented housing and support: Eligible participants will be linked to housing aligned with treatment engagement, with ongoing tenancy support and connections to employment, education, and community resources.
• Cross-system partnership: A formal agreement among law enforcement, health, housing, and criminal justice partners will establish a leadership council and workgroups.

"STREETS takes treatment directly to Americans living on our streets and connects them to the care and support they need to recover," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy . "We are helping people reclaim their health, rebuild their lives, and achieve the dignity, purpose, and independence that come with recovery."

STREETS supports SAMHSA'S Strategic Priorities to advance evidence-based treatment approaches that prioritize recovery, self-sufficiency, and public safety while directly combating the devastating effects of addiction in America.

About The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust:

The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust organizes and directs the Miami-Dade County Community Homeless Plan: Priority Home, administers proceeds of funding dedicated to homelessness, and serves in an advisory capacity to the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners on issues involving homelessness. The Trust's 27-member volunteer board includes representation from business, religious, educational, provider and civic communities, along with formerly homeless individuals. The Trust is committed to advancing equitable access to housing and services for persons experiencing homelessness. To learn more about the Homeless Trust, visit www.homelesstrust.org.