Second House of Hope planned

CELINA - Officials on Tuesday verbally agreed to lease a tract of county-owned land west of the city where a home for men recovering from substance abuse is planned.

The proposed second Mercer County House of Hope would be built between the sheriff's office and Foundations Behavioral Health Services along state Route 29 - about a half mile from the first home of its kind for women on Mud Pike.

"It's been over a year since we began the women's house and it's been very successful," House of Hope board president Molli Schleucher told county commissioners on Tuesday. "We've had seven girls through the program and five are out with jobs."

The women's home opened, in part, to help the growing number of local people fighting heroin addiction. It is operated in partnership with the county's drug court and other organizations.

The House of Hope board on Friday approved a resolution to begin a fundraising campaign for the men's home, according to ministry member Bruce Swonger, who also was in attendance Tuesday. The goal is to raise about $100,000.

"We hope to get the money raised in six months," Schleucher said. "I don't think that's totally unrealistic."

The local St. John Builders group has volunteered to build the facility, she explained. Blueprints have been drawn up for a home suited for six occupants, she said.

"They hope to start in late spring or early summer," she added.

Commissioner Jerry Laffin told the newspaper the county would maintain ownership of the lot and lease it to the House of Hope board for $1 per year, the same terms given for the women's home, which is owned by the county.

Much of Tuesday's discussion focused on finding an appropriate location for the men's home - close to the sheriff's office and Foundations but not too close to the women's facility or private residences.

The women sometimes walk to the sheriff's office for drug testing or to Foundations to attend counseling sessions because, per house agreement, they initially aren't permitted to drive, Schleucher noted.

The proposed location for men would be convenient for the same reasons, she added.

However, putting men and women with substance abuse issues next door to each other is not ideal since some of them may have "used" together, Schleucher said.

Several county officials at the meeting - common pleas court judge Jeffrey Ingraham, sheriff Jeff Grey, auditor Randy Grapner and prosecutor Matt Fox - agreed there should be an appropriate distance between the men and women's homes and sufficient security measures to prevent problems.

Grey said he fully supports the idea of a home for men recovering from substance abuse but initially was skeptical about the proposed location.

"I think we're playing with fire," he said. "If you spend $100,000 to build a house there, you can't just pick it up later and move it."

Grey said drug abuse often increases the yearning for sexual activity.

"I know how girls and guys are in the jail," he said.  

Grey suggested constructing a sidewalk lined with a chain-link fence behind the jail for a more direct and secure route for the women to use when walking past the men's home to Foundations.

Fox asked Grey if the jail's security cameras could be used to monitor activity in that area. After some discussion, they agreed to look into the idea.

"Are the women in the house allowed to have male visitors?" Grapner asked.

"The contract they sign doesn't allow male relationships," Schleucher replied. "They're not going to make good decisions at that point."

Some male visitors such as pastors can be pre-approved, she said.

"But no one can just show up," she said, adding alarms are on the home's doors and windows.

Swonger and Schleucher said violating any of the house rules is grounds for immediate removal.

The officials favored adding privacy fences to both facilities and possibly building a hill behind the men's home to obscure it from the view of nearby residents at Silver Lakes subdivision.

Schleucher told commissioners she will meet with officials from Foundations and nearby homeowners to discuss the plan.

"We need to get feedback from the public," commissioner Rick Muhlenkamp said. "We want to start out on the right foot."