Valley Behavioral Health asks for $1M to buy sober-living property, cites county match

Representative Dunnigan introduced a request from Valley Behavioral Health to purchase and operate sober-living transitional housing. Ryan Wilson, vice president of housing and real estate strategy at Valley Behavioral Health, told the committee the agency seeks $1,000,000 in one-time opioid settlement funding to acquire a 15–20-unit property in Salt Lake County to operate as recovery-oriented transitional housing.

Wilson said stable, substance-free housing following treatment reduces relapse risk and costly reentry into emergency and criminal-justice systems. He noted Valley Behavioral Health has experience operating residential treatment and housing programs and has secured $250,000 in matching funds from Salt Lake County; presenters said no other matching funds were yet committed. Committee members asked whether the project would serve people leaving incarceration; presenters said the program would primarily serve people exiting treatment and could accept individuals from either direction depending on referrals and capacity.

Presenters said they would work with Salt Lake County on permitting and that the program is intended as a step-down from residential care, with rules and drug testing to support sustained recovery. No appropriation decision was made on Feb. 2.