Jesse B. Milby ^1*, Joseph E. Schumacher ¹, Dennis Wallace ², Rudy Vuchinich ¹, Stephen T. Mennemeyer ¹, Stefan G. Kertesz ¹

¹ University of Alabama at Birmingham
² RTI International

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jmilby{at}uab.edu.

	Abstract

Objectives. We examined whether cocaine-dependent homeless persons had stable housing and were employed 6, 12, and 18 months after they entered a randomized controlled trial comparing 2 treatments.

Methods. One group (n=103) received abstinence-contingent housing, vocational training, and work; another group (n=103) received the same intervention plus cognitive behavioral day treatment. We examined baseline and early treatment variables for association with long-term housing and employment.

Results. Although the enhanced treatment group achieved better abstinence rates, the groups did not differ in long-term housing and employment stability. However, consecutive weeks of abstinence during treatment (and to a lesser extent, older age and male gender) predicted long-term housing and employment stability after adjustment for baseline differences in employment, housing, and treatment.

Conclusions. Our data showed a relationship of abstinence with housing stability. Contrasting these results with the increasingly popular Housing First interventions reveals important gaps in our knowledge to be addressed in future research.

Key Words: Health Policy, Homelessness, Drugs, Substance Abuse