Catholic Charities’ recovery housing program wins five-year support from Tompkins County board

Tompkins County’s Community Services Board voted to support extending Catholic Charities’ Place to Stay recovery housing program for a five-year term, citing steady outcomes and available regional opioid-settlement funds that county leaders recommended using to sustain the model.

Mikaela Courtray, deputy director at Catholic Charities, presented data showing the program grew from a 4-bed pilot in 2016 to three shared houses and one scattered-site unit under a 2024 Whole Health contract. Courtray said the program received more than 200 referrals over the last two years, served 19 residents as of June 30, 2026, and averaged a 154-day length of stay. She highlighted on-site recovery supports, peer support, intensive case management and a post-discharge aftercare line that participants can use for crisis help.

"Every setback is a chance for a comeback," Courtray said when describing the program’s approach to relapse and re-engagement.

Board discussion centered on funding and contract length. Harmony, who led the meeting, summarized that the county had received about $2 million in opioid-settlement regional abatement dollars through 2026 and anticipated roughly another $600,000; she said the pilot budget had been roughly $1 million for the first three years and that the program’s operating costs were about $330,000 per year. Harmony said the county could put the program back out for a competitive request-for-proposals (RFP) but also noted agencies may be reluctant to bid on short-term contracts given start-up timelines.

After members discussed sustainability planning and the importance of continuity for treatment-court referrals, a committee member moved to support the program for five years; the board approved the proposal by voice vote and declared the motion adopted.

The board’s support does not itself execute a contract renewal; Harmony said staff will prepare the contracting approach and, if an RFP is required, will form a review committee and set a timeline so the program does not lapse at year-end. Members emphasized that long-term sustainability should include a condition in future solicitations requiring agencies to pursue additional funding and to provide a sustainability plan.

The board also discussed program operations: Place to Stay accepts participants 18 and older (the youngest case noted was 17 in an exceptional circumstance), and referrals commonly come from treatment court, coordinated entry and self-referral. Courtray said the program’s mixed model—shared houses plus a scattered-site unit—creates peer supports while keeping services accessible in Ithaca.

Next steps: staff will prepare contracting language (RFP or direct extension as allowable), codify program sustainability requirements in any new contract, and return to the board with the procurement plan and timeline.