Smithville House For Recovering Women Opening At Start Of Year

A transitional housing program for women recovering from substance abuse will open its doors in early 2024.

Smithville will be closing on a $375,000 property to be used as the recovery house in the coming weeks. UCHRA will oversee the program. Executive Director Mark Farley said the idea is to give these women a hand up to getting their lives back on track.

“They need the structure like a home like this can provide,” Farley said. “Somebody that can make sure the bills are being paid and everything is being taken care of and maintained, and our goal is to hopefully get these individuals through this point in their life.”

The house was paid for using a $433,790 grant awarded by the state. The house can hold up to eight tenants, and residents will be charged rent. The rent amount currently being discussed is $125 a month.

“That would cover all the expenses for the most part except their own personal living expenses like food and upkeep and those type of things,” Farley said. “Keep in mind, this facility will house up to eight ladies. So their combined rent then would cover the operating costs for the home.”

Residents will also be subject to drug testing.

“More than likely the ladies coming through our room probably will not be through the court system,” Farley said. “They will be somebody who has gone to a treatment center, gotten recovered, gotten to where they need to be with the right treatment program and get in a place where they can live independently again. We may have a few that a drug court recommends to us. Somebody that has come through that has not really got a long criminal record.”

The Community Development Block Grant used to purchase the property and help start the program was awarded by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The Upper Cumberland Development District applied for the grant.

“They’ve gone though a treatment process, and they are back on the road to a normal life,” Farley said. “They are employed. They are trying to get back to a more suitable, long-term housing solution, but this is that first step. This gives them some place where they can get established, get a residence and then once they got enough work experience, and they’re able to build up a little money on their own, then they’re able to go out and rent a traditional house or apartment unit.”

The planned opening is for sometime in January.