17% Of Formerly Homeless Veterans With Opioid Use Disorder Received MOUD Within One Year Of Supportive Housing Placement

May 19, 2026

About 17% of formerly homeless veterans with opioid use disorder (OUD) who entered permanent supportive housing through a veteran-specific program received medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) within 12 months, according to a recent study. Veterans with greater behavioral health engagement were more likely to receive MOUD. Older veterans and racial and ethnic minority veterans were less likely to receive MOUD.

The researchers analyzed outcomes for 10,110 U.S. veterans ages 18 and older with OUD entering the Housing and Urban Development-Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. The analysis linked national Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative and electronic health record data for veterans entering HUD-VASH between October 1, 2017, and September 30, 2021.

The researchers analyzed the percentage of veterans who received MOUD (buprenorphine, methadone, or extended-release naltrexone) within 12 months after entering HUD-VASH housing. Compared to veterans ages 18 to 34, veterans ages 55 to 64 were 48% less likely to receive MOUD. Non-Hispanic Black veterans were 53% less likely to receive MOUD compared to White veterans.

Veterans with depression were 24% more likely to receive MOUD. Veterans with personality disorders were 19% less likely to receive MOUD. Co-occurring alcohol use disorder, cannabis use disorder, and stimulant use disorder were also associated with lower odds of receiving MOUD. Veterans with one or more inpatient hospitalizations were 26% less likely to receive MOUD.

The researchers stated that improving MOUD access in HUD-VASH programs may require embedding addiction treatment services into supportive housing teams, increasing behavioral health engagement, and addressing disparities in access to treatment.

These findings were presented in Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Among Veterans With Homeless Experience in Permanent Supportive Housing by Michael Hsu, M.D.; Talia Panadero, MPH; Larissa J. Mooney, M.D.; David Kim, MPH; and colleagues. The goal was to identify demographic, clinical, and service-related factors associated with receipt of MOUD among formerly homeless veterans residing in HUD-VASH placements.

The full text of Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Among Veterans With Homeless Experience in Permanent Supportive Housing was published on May 5, 2026, by JAMA Network Open. A free copy is available (accessed May 14, 2026).

For more information, contact: Michael Hsu, M.D., Clinical Instructor, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard, Veterans Affairs Research Building 206, Los Angeles, California 90073; Email: Michaelhsu@mednet.ucla.edu; Website: https://profiles.ucla.edu/michael.hsu