Committee hears testimony backing House Bill 58 to require certificate of need, local oversight for recovery housing

The Ohio House Community Revitalization Committee held a second hearing on House Bill 58, which would establish a certificate-of-need process and give local Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health (ADAM) boards authority to inspect and investigate recovery housing, hear testimony from law enforcement, local officials and recovery stakeholders, and took no final vote.

Prosecuting attorney Shane Tinneman, who identified himself as the Scioto County prosecuting attorney, told the committee that Scioto County has seen rapid expansion of recovery housing and that some operators are “‘in it only to maximize profit at the expense of providing the client with all the tools and resources needed to advance recovery.’” He said bad actors have “alarmed their fellow neighbors, sapped resources of our first responders and law enforcement, [and] discouraged business and potential economic development.”

The bill’s proponents told lawmakers the measure is intended to preserve access to legitimate recovery services while limiting poorly run or predatory facilities. “This is not about trying to prevent recovery housing from existing,” said Edwin Martel, a former Portsmouth city councilman and Portsmouth resident. “It is about ensuring that the people inside these homes are protected, supported, and…