KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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The Lawrence community celebrated the completion of nonprofit DCCCA's Hope Rising affordable housing community for women in recovery and their children on Thursday.
RELATED | New affordable housing will help Douglas County women in addiction recovery stay with children
Residents will begin moving into the 10-unit $4.2 million project in July. As many as 20 women and their children could live in the duplexes located at 3011 W 31st Street, alongside DCCCA's inpatient substance use disorder treatment facility for women.
“Years ago, women did not show up to substance use treatment," Kim Freese, DCCCA's chief behavioral health officer, said. "They may have had alcoholism or substance use in their lives, but if they had to choose between going to treatment and leaving their children behind, they would never choose to come to treatment.”
Freese's history with DCCCA begins in 1991, when she began alcohol treatment as a 23-year-old. She's seen the recovery landscape change over the past three decades.
“We have a voice now," she said. "We are part of society. We are loud, proud, recovering people."
The housing community includes an ADA compliant unit, units suited for women with children, and some units were designed as co-living spaces for roommates.
“This needed resource is the only one of its kind attached to a treatment facility in the state of Kansas," said DCCCA CEO Lori Alvarado. "And, we’ve actually been looking around the nation and not finding too many of those."
While there's no set-in-stone rule for leases, DCCCA imagines residents will stay in the homes from anywhere between six months to about a year.
Freese said residents will pay a minimal amount during the first couple months, and increasingly paying more until reaching a maximum of about $850. She said the affordability aspect is covered by the $4.2 million campaign contributions.
Because it's transitional housing, residents will continue meeting with case managers.
Sheri Krikbride hopes she's one of those residents.
“This is just a great opportunity for women to be looked at with new eyes and for them to be able to find themself, regrow, find self confidence and find a healthy balance between life and humanity," she said of the housing community.
Kirkbride began alcohol treatment with DCCCA 24 days ago.
“I’m very much hoping to move into one of these places," Kirkbride said of the units. "I’m trying to eat the elephant one bite at a time, so right now we’re at a couple bites in.”
This project marks DCCCA first-ever capital campaign, according to Freese. Alvarado said it received both private and pubic funding, including backing from the city of Lawrence, Douglas County, and the state of Kansas.
Lawrence contributed through its affordable housing trust fund, and DCCCA applied for funds from Douglas County's behavioral sales tax fund, Alvarado said in October.
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