Recovery housing for women and children opens in Stewart County
October 31, 2024 | Stewart County, Tennessee
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Melissa Biddle, a prevention specialist who led the project, opened a newly renovated recovery housing site in Stewart County on Thursday, saying the facility will provide affordable housing and on-site supports for up to 15 women and their children recovering from substance use and related challenges.
"I'm proud to be able to supply 15 women a place to live with their children in recovery," Biddle said, describing a year of renovation work that began with demolition and relied on volunteers, sponsors and short-term investor loans to close the purchase. She said the property was purchased after the owners entered probate and that the group applied for a state grant (an RFA-style program) to support the conversion.
The site includes sponsored rooms, a donated upstairs classroom for meetings and services, and a small cabin the organizers plan to use with the Department of Children's Services as a temporary holding or waiting space when children are removed from a home, Biddle said. She described state grants that operate on a reimbursement basis and explained the coalition had to borrow short-term funds and secure investors to cover upfront renovation costs.
Brother Greg offered a blessing during the opening ceremony, asking for protection and support for staff and residents. Director Govan, identified at the event as director of housing and homeless services, praised the local leadership and said the state's early investment "of about $2.5 million" in the broader program has been leveraged into what he described at the event as roughly $1.3 billion to support housing and provider work statewide.
Organizers thanked reentry housing support staff, naming Christine LaPlante as a leader who will help fund recurring operations, and highlighted regional housing facilitators including Greg Healy and Jack Blumberg for technical support. The host invited attendees to tour the sponsored rooms and share food as the event closed.
The coalition said the house will be an affordable living option with on-site meetings and wraparound supports; no formal vote or government action took place at the event. The next step for the project is occupancy and continued operational setup with partner agencies, organizers said.
"I'm proud to be able to supply 15 women a place to live with their children in recovery," Biddle said, describing a year of renovation work that began with demolition and relied on volunteers, sponsors and short-term investor loans to close the purchase. She said the property was purchased after the owners entered probate and that the group applied for a state grant (an RFA-style program) to support the conversion.
The site includes sponsored rooms, a donated upstairs classroom for meetings and services, and a small cabin the organizers plan to use with the Department of Children's Services as a temporary holding or waiting space when children are removed from a home, Biddle said. She described state grants that operate on a reimbursement basis and explained the coalition had to borrow short-term funds and secure investors to cover upfront renovation costs.
Brother Greg offered a blessing during the opening ceremony, asking for protection and support for staff and residents. Director Govan, identified at the event as director of housing and homeless services, praised the local leadership and said the state's early investment "of about $2.5 million" in the broader program has been leveraged into what he described at the event as roughly $1.3 billion to support housing and provider work statewide.
Organizers thanked reentry housing support staff, naming Christine LaPlante as a leader who will help fund recurring operations, and highlighted regional housing facilitators including Greg Healy and Jack Blumberg for technical support. The host invited attendees to tour the sponsored rooms and share food as the event closed.
The coalition said the house will be an affordable living option with on-site meetings and wraparound supports; no formal vote or government action took place at the event. The next step for the project is occupancy and continued operational setup with partner agencies, organizers said.
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