Municipal staff briefed the Housing and Neighborhood Development Commission on a proposed micro‑unit pilot described as a two‑year recovery residence program. Staff said they will ask the Assembly on June 10 to appropriate opioid settlement funds to support initial development and that the city expects to issue RFPs for sites and an operator in the coming weeks.

The micro‑unit plan aims to create about 24 small units, modeled in part on other communities’ projects, and to operate them as recovery residences with on‑site or nearby case management, peer support and outpatient services. Staff said units will be compact and are not expected to include private bathrooms or kitchens; shared sanitary facilities and common services would be provided.

Staff described the project as a pilot designed to test a lower‑barrier, clinically informed model that can be sustained through billing for services after initial start‑up funds. Municipal staff said the likely municipal site is the Tudor‑Elmore campus, but the RFP will allow bidders to propose private sites as well; an operator RFP will select a community behavioral health provider to deliver services and billing.

Staff described the project as separate from permanent supportive housing: the units are intended to be transitional, focused on stabilization and treatment entry rather than long‑term voucher‑eligible apartments. Staff said the micro‑unit RFPs and operator selection are being coordinated with other municipal behavioral‑health initiatives and with lessons learned from peer city site visits.

The commission was invited to attend an assembly work session on the appropriation and micro‑unit plan; staff said the work session will include additional detail and posted materials. No formal action was taken by the commission at the meeting.

Why this matters: the micro‑unit pilot would use one-time settlement funds to test a small, rapid‑deployment housing option tied to clinical supports; if successful, staff said the model could be scaled or replicated with other operators and sites.