A Cleveland homeless addiction outreach and treatment program expects to resume services next month after being on hold since April due to a lack of funding.
Elena Yanchar of The Centers, a nonprofit health services organization, which runs the program, says restoring outreach is critical because the homeless population suffers higher-than-average rates of addiction.
“They're more at risk from overdose, death, exacerbation of chronic medical conditions," Yanchar said. "It puts people at increased risk for a mental health crisis, for an addiction crisis, for a physical health crisis.”
There is a direct relationship between homelessness and death from accidental drug overdoses, including through use of synthetic opioids, a 2025 Health Affairs study found. According to the study, a 10% increase in homelessness led to more than a 3% increase in opioid poisonings in metropolitan areas.
Yanchar said she anticipates philanthropic funding for the program will be restored beginning next month — though competition for funds is high in part due to recent federal cuts to social service programs.
"I think we're pretty close," she said. "I think all of our philanthropic folks in in our community are trying to fill the gaps because so much is being cut."
Over the past several years, Yanchar has met with Cleveland's homeless population to establish trust with them and try to persuade them to obtain health care and addiction treatment.
Synthetic kratom risks
The program has been on hold as Cleveland's homeless population faces another addiction threat from a synthetic form of kratom called 7-hydroxymitragynine (also known as 7-OH), Yanchar said. 7-OH is an opioid that is more potent than morphine and is as addictive as fentanyl and oxycodone.
She said people began showing up to her clinic addicted to 7-OH in the last few months.
“What's very different about [synthetic kratom] is it's very potent, it's very addictive... and it's much harder to get off than kratom,” she said.
Yanchar said she believes synthetic should be outlawed, but first there needs to be a strategy in place for dealing with addiction.
"If they don't find us, like a clinic that can treat them, they're going to go use other things that will put them at higher risk to die," Yanchar said.
