Changes in All-Cause, Overdose, and Suicide Mortality Risk in the First 2 Years of Supported Housing, United States, 2017–2021.

This article examines mortality risks among U.S. veterans experiencing homelessness who entered the Housing and Urban Development–Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD–VASH) program compared to a matched cohort of homeless veterans not in the program. Using a national retrospective cohort design with propensity score matching from 2017 to 2021, the study found that veterans in HUD–VASH initially had a lower risk of all-cause mortality at 6 months, but this risk increased over time and was slightly higher than the comparison group at 24 months. Notably, overdose mortality risk was approximately twice as high among HUD–VASH participants throughout the 2-year follow-up, while suicide mortality risk did not differ significantly between groups. The findings suggest a need for sustained substance use treatment and overdose prevention interventions within supported housing programs to address elevated overdose mortality.