Housing first: a bold experiment to stop opioid addiction before it starts

NCT ID NCT04135703

Completed Prevention Sponsor: Ohio State University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether giving homeless young people (ages 18-24) a place to live plus support services could help them avoid developing opioid use disorder. 240 participants who were homeless but did not yet have opioid addiction were randomly assigned to receive either housing with prevention services or prevention services alone. Researchers tracked their opioid use over a year to see if housing made a difference.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Housing (rental assistance) plus opioid risk prevention services
What this could lead to: If successful, this could show that providing stable housing alongside prevention services helps homeless youth avoid developing opioid use disorder.
What could go wrong: This is a single completed trial with 240 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Housing alone may not be enough to prevent substance use in all youth.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

substance abuse substance-related disorder opiate dependence prevention target

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

SUBSTANCE USE

Contacts and locations

Locations

The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States

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