Dover, Del. July 17, 2023 – The Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) recently announced that it received $2.6 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the Recovery Housing Program (RHP) Action Plan. 

RHP aims to provide stable, temporary housing for up to two years for individuals in recovery from substance use disorders. DSHA provides funding to build or rehab recovery houses, while the Department of Health and Social Services and the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health fund recovery services. 

The deadline for applications for the RHP grant is August 11 at 4:00 p.m. Only 501(c) (3) nonprofit developers are eligible to apply, although partnerships with other nonprofit and for-profit organizations are encouraged. Applicants should contact DSHA to schedule a pre-application meeting. Grant awards are expected to be announced in October.

“Recovery Housing is an essential part of the substance use disorder treatment and recovery continuum of care,” said Cindy Deakyne, DSHA Housing Project Manager. “It provides safe, healthy, and substance-free living environments centered on peer support and a connection to services that promote long-term recovery, including mutual support groups and recovery services to reduce isolation and relapse. We are proud to oversee this important program.”

Delaware, with one of the highest rates per capita of substance addiction in the United States, was identified by HUD in 2019 as one of the states to receive Block Grant funding for the RHP pilot program. DSHA received $2.2 million in the first round of funding.

In 2022, DSHA awarded grants to two nonprofit organizations to purchase and renovate recovery houses. Impact Life Inc. operates Delaware’s first-ever residential recovery farm in Seaford for ten women and children, and atTAcK Addiction Foundation now operates a recovery house for ten men in Harbeson. 

“Since our grand opening, we have had many life-changing and fulfilling experiences,” said Domenica Personti, Chief Executive Officer of Impact Life. “The women who call this place home are learning to recover from substance abuse while also gaining agricultural skills in a safe, structured environment.”

With the most recent round of funding, DSHA expects to award grants for two or three more Recovery Houses in Delaware. Although the existing two houses are in Sussex County, DSHA welcomes applicants looking to open recovery houses in any of the state’s three counties.

“Addressing substance abuse in our community will take innovative and effective collaborations,” said DSHA Director Eugene Young, Jr. “We look forward to working with our state agency partners, local nonprofits, and the community to expand the number of recovery houses in the state and helping more residents on the road to a new life.”

Recently, the General Assembly passed HS1 for HB114, which creates a voluntary certification process for recovery homes in Delaware. This bill provides training and technical assistance for recovery residence operators and staff as well as enables the data collection needed to study the effectiveness of Delaware’s recovery residences. 

For more information and to apply for the RHP grant, please visit http://www.destatehousing.com/Landlords/dv_cdbg.php. 

About Delaware State Housing Authority

The Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA), formed in 1968, provides quality, affordable housing opportunities and appropriate supportive services to low- and moderate-income Delawareans. In addition to its role as the State’s Housing Finance Agency, DSHA is unique because it serves as a Public Housing Authority in Kent and Sussex County and a Community Development and Planning Agency. For more information about the Delaware State Housing Authority, please call: (302) 739-4263 or visit our website at: www.destatehousing.

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