Robeson County is getting $3 million from the federal government to connect homeless residents with drug treatment options and housing programs.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the funding on October 2. Robeson could receive up to $12 million over the next four years, depending on the programs’ success.
Robeson is partnering with the Christian Recovery Centers, Southeastern Integrated Care, and other community organizations to implement the program, the county said in a news release emailed to the Border Belt Independent. The group is working to build the infrastructure to get residents off the streets housed and into treatment.
“The intent is not to duplicate services already available in Robeson County,” according to the news release. “Instead, the partnership will identify what each organization does well, determine where gaps remain, and establish clear pathways so individuals can move more effectively from initial engagement and crisis intervention into appropriate treatment, recovery support, stability, and greater independence.”
The funding comes from the new federal Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-Based Treatment and Support program, also called STREETS. It was created following President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order calling for an end to street crime and homelessness.
The program, which aims to bring service providers out of their offices and into communities that need help, is part of the Trump administration’s Great American Recovery. The initiative seeks to ensure the estimated 48.4 million Americans living with a substance use disorder can access treatment.
“The STREETS program gives communities resources to bring treatment and engagement directly to people who are homeless and maintain that engagement as they move toward recovery and stability,” a spokesperson for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said in a statement to the Border Belt Independent.
In 2023, 16% of adults in North Carolina reported having a substance use disorder. That year, the state’s overdose death rate peaked at 40 per 100,000 residents. The state has since seen a significant decrease, with about 23 per 100,000 residents dying of an overdose in 2025. Health experts say several factors have contributed to the decrease, including the availability of the opioid overdose-reversing medication naloxone.
However, 32 counties saw an increase in overdose death rates from 2024 to 2025, according to state data. Robeson was among them: 71 people in the county died of an overdose in 2025, compared to 62 in 2024.
Homelessness is also increasing across the state. In the Border Belt region of Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties, the number of homeless residents increased by 18% to 145 people between 2024 and 2025, according to HUD’s annual Point-in-Time count. Experts say the actual numbers are likely higher than data shows because the counts are conducted during a 24-hour span.
Robeson County is getting over $16.97 million from national settlements with drug manufacturers and other companies blamed for causing the opioid epidemic. So far, the county has spent over $627,800 on recovery services like peer support specialists and $35,000 on housing support through the Pembroke-based nonprofit PAWSS Inc.
“The infrastructure, relationships, and willingness to collaborate necessary to build a stronger recovery system already exists here,” the county said in the press release. “This federal investment provides an opportunity to strengthen those connections and expand their reach.”