A new study shows just how unbalanced recovery housing is in our area.
Recovery housing is meant for people who are working to stay clean from drugs or alcohol. These homes are supposed to give them a safe place to live, with rules, support, and no drugs or alcohol allowed.
What the Numbers Show
In Scioto, Lawrence, and Adams Counties, the numbers are way off balance:
- Level 1 homes (the most basic, peer-run homes) are far below what’s needed.
- Level 2 homes (run by a manager, but no on-site medical care) meet about 59% of the need.
- Level 3 homes (more supervised, structured housing) are way over capacity at 386% of the need.
Breaking it down by gender:
- For women, there are 565% more beds than needed — over five times the amount.
- For men, there are 262% more beds than needed.
- In other parts of Ohio, the report found zero recovery housing for some groups.
What This Means
So, while our area has been flooded with recovery homes — hundreds of them across three counties — other places in Ohio don’t have any at all. That means some groups of people can’t get help at all, while others are placed in a system that has far more than what’s required.
The Costs and Savings
The study also found that recovery housing saves money. In 2022 alone, Ohio saved about $35 million by having recovery homes. If the system was expanded fairly, that number could jump to over $43 million a year.
But the problem is clear: the beds are not spread out evenly. Some places like Scioto County have way too many for one group, while others have none at all.
👉 Bottom Line: Our area has more than five times the beds needed for some people, but other Ohio counties don’t even have one. Until things are balanced, southern Ohio will keep carrying more than its share of the burden.