Commissioners approve $29,000 from opioid-settlement pool to support local recovery housing

Decatur County commissioners approved allocating $29,000 from the county’s opioid-settlement funds to help pay the mortgage on a local transitional recovery residence after the Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council (JRAAC) vetted the request.

JRAAC representatives told commissioners the county’s first installment of opioid-settlement receipts totaled $533,000, of which $383,000 is described as restricted (must relate to opioid treatment) and about $150,000 is unrestricted. The advisory group said it has already extended $135,000 for a wellness court project and discussed other requests previously submitted, including a $60,000 request for a local substance-abuse provider that was still under review.

The grant application before the board came from Esperanza (presented in the meeting packet under a house-name in the record). Staff and JRAAC members described Esperanza as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has assisted roughly 50 women and an estimated 319 children since 2018, and that the program’s relapse and recidivism metrics compare favorably to state and national averages. Esperanza requested funds to satisfy the mortgage on a central Broadway house, which its director said would relieve interest costs and make future expansion more feasible.

A commissioner moved to approve the JRAAC recommendation to fund the request; the motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote. JRAAC representatives said they will report back on quarterly spending and the application process to give the public opportunities to apply for the remaining unrestricted dollars.