Hope Town Ohio, a recovery organization located in Windham, is transitioning its 13-bed Level 2 women’s recovery house into a Level 1 recovery house for men.
Ted St. John, Hope Town’s chief executive, said he expects the facility to open the week of Dec. 9. The realignment was spurred by low census counts at the women’s facility, recognition that the women who did reside there tended not to stay very long, and a high demand for less restrictive recovery housing for men who have been successful in Level 2 housing, he said.
There are four levels of recovery housing in Ohio. The first is Level 4, which offers the highest level of support, with Levels 3, 2 and 1 providing step-down housing and services as individuals move toward independent living.
Hope Town will continue to operate its 18-bed, Level 2 men’s recovery house, located on the same campus in the heart of Windham.
Hope Town is not the only local option. In Portage County, Family & Community Services operates three facilities: a 23-bed Level 3 women’s house, and two Level 2 men’s homes, one with four beds and one with two.
Level 3 facilities are staffed around the clock and are typically meant for people just starting their recovery journeys, said Ohio Recovery Housing Executive Director Danielle Gray. Residents may have been recently released from an inpatient facility, be receiving outpatient services from such a facility, or could simply need a high level of support, she said.
All Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 facilities must be registered with the state and, starting Jan. 1, 2025, will also have to have obtained and maintain certification.
St. John said the need for local step-down housing options for men spurred the nonprofit’s realignment.
“For some, the support and structure provided by Level 2 housing are no longer necessary, but the continued access to recovery resources, community connections and affordability of Level 1 housing remains essential,” he said. “This shift to Level 1 housing at this location addresses that gap, offering a balance between independence and recovery support.”
Level 1 recovery housing provides a peer-supported, alcohol- and drug-free environment for residents with at least 10 months of active recovery. Residents manage their own recovery, which St. John said may or may not mean involvement in a 12-step or faith-based program. They meet periodically with Hope Town staff to ensure all is going well and access support if needed.
Under minimal supervision, they may have visitors, though they may not stay overnight.
Level 2 recovery houses are typically referred from treatment centers and must prove 30 days of abstinence. They must observe a set curfew, attend morning meetings, and secure a recovery sponsor. They must help other residents, lead by example, stay clean and sober, complete assigned chores, perform two hours a week of community-based volunteer work, and attend weekly meetings.
They must also demonstrate active involvement with some kind of recovery program. On-site house managers hold Level 2 residents accountable to individually tailored signed agreements. They also help the residents adhere to the agreements if they have fallen short.
All Hope Town residents are subject to drug screenings.
Insurance does not pay for Level 1 or Level 2 housing, but St. John said Hope Town offers some limited scholarships to cover the $450 rent due for each unit. All utilities and amenities are included in the Level 2 units, but Level 1 tenants are expected to pay their own utilities.
“By the time they have reached Level 1, they’ve had time to get some money together to pay for it,” he said.
Whether they live in Hope Town’s Level 1 or Level 2 fully furnished and stocked units, residents may stay as long as they continue to pursue recovery and adhere to program expectations. St John said the average tenure in Hope Town’s Level 2 house has turned out to be about six months, and there’s no telling how long the average Level 1 stay will be.
He said one Level 2 tenant is already primed to transition to the Level 1 house and will move in on day one. Another declined the invitation to make the switch, saying he felt he still needed the higher level of accountability.
Turns out that where a tenant feels comfortable is largely up to him, though Hope Town staff may make recommendations.
“The next step after Level 1 housing is fully independent living,” St. John said. “My hope is that by then, a person has had the training, the practice and has developed the coping skills needed to handle whatever life has to offer. When a person makes a full commitment to address their addiction, miracles happen.”
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.