Old Eagle Times building could become Claremont sober housing

By GLYNIS HART
[email protected]
CLAREMONT– After three years of looking for a good site for sober housing, Sullivan County officials are casting an eye on the former Eagle Times building at 19 Sullivan Street downtown. 

“We wanted to determine feasibility prior to opening everything up for comment,” said County Commissioner Jeff Barrette. “We’re at a pretty low stage in the process.” 

Barrette and officials from the county jail presented the idea to the city council, cautioning that it’s just an idea so far. 

An earlier bid to use the old Junior Sports League building on School Street was withdrawn by the county after strong negative reactions from some of the neighbors. 

The Traditional Re-entry and Inmate Life Skills (TRAILS) program run by the county Department of Corrections reduces recidivism by addressing the circumstances that put people in the jail in the first place, such as mental illness, poverty, lack of education and substance abuse. Donna Magee, TRAILS program director, said the program has two parts: a 90-day treatment program while participants are incarcerated in the county House of Corrections, and six months of aftercare, which includes ongoing substance abuse therapy, housing assistance, and probation. 

“This is a model designed by the Urban Institute,” said Magee. “To help people transition from jail to the community. It appreciates people have certain factors coming in [to incarceration].” 

Dave Berry, superintendent of Sullivan County corrections, said the TRAILS program has been copied in other communities in New Hampshire. He showed the weekly schedule for TRAILS participants, which was full: “Monday through Friday, from the time they get up they’re in some kind of programming. On the weekend they work. This is why the program is successful.” 

However, when they leave they often end up “couch surfing” said Berry.

Magee said they surveyed TRAILS participants and found 43 percent have unstable or no housing when they graduate from the program. “It’s really difficult for people who want to stay with the changes they’ve made,” she said. “Sometimes we release people straight to the homeless shelter, which is hard.” 

“Stable housing is our missing link,” said Berry. Nationally, the relapse rate for those without stable housing is 64 percent. Although Berry said there aren’t good statistics on this in New Hampshire, from what they know from facilities in Rochester and Manchester, they could be as low as 4-6 percent. 

Councilor Jon Stone asked if the Sullivan County program provides suboxone, which is used in medically assisted treatment (MAT). Suboxone reduces dependency on heroin or opioids and can lessen the effects of withdrawal; addicts sometimes buy suboxone on the black market in order to break a heroin addiction. 

“It’s going to be required soon,” said Berry. Sullivan County HOC currently only provides suboxone for pregnant women and people who already have a valid prescription. TRAILS program participants may also get a subscription on their own once they’re out in the community. 

Councilor Nick Koloski mentioned that a day care business is planning to move into the old O’Reilly’s building on Main Street, less than a block away. He also expressed support for sober housing and sympathy for people in the program: “They know they’re at risk, not having a place to go.” 

Three people who have successfully beat substance abuse that landed them in jail also spoke in favor of sober housing. Whitney Davis, substance abuse clinician, said she left the facility in 2010 and she’s been clean ever since. 

“The only reason I’m sober today is because I had the support of family and friends,” she said. “I wouldn’t be alive without them.” 

Davis said she lived with family and worked for $8 an hour, bringing home $300 a week. “How can you live off that? You can’t,” she said. 

“I firmly believe folks can recover, and I think we’re doing a disservice to our young folks by not having a place for them to go,” said Davis. 

Two graduates of TRAILS also spoke. “When I was in there,” said Monique Cook, “all these single moms were talking about going to sober housing and having to be away from their kids because it was hours away.” 

Tyler Cook said, “This is something we really need.” Cook said he’s gotten sober and now has custody of his children. 

“Sober families raise sober children,” commented MacLean. “I’m struck by the ripple effect of this. Every life that straightens out, all the people that care about them or are dependent on them are getting a major boost.” 

Koloski said he anticipates the Not-In-My-Backyard attitude and said it’s important to push back. 

“If you think people aren’t obtaining a sleeping bag and tents, and living in your backyard, you don’t know,” he said. 

Councilor Scott Pope said, “As a teacher I’ve seen a lot of these relapses and what it does to the children. I’ve also seen a lot of positives when it goes the other way.” 

Barrette said the next step is to get an architect’s cost estimate and a preliminary design, then apply for a Community Block Development Grant in July. The sober housing facility would have beds in ‘dorm style’ rooms for 20 men and 10 women, an office for corrections officers on staff, and the parole department is looking to move in as well.