In Fred Way’s conversation with the class, he discussed his role in PARR, the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences. He started by explaining that due to the opioid epidemic, there has been an upsurge of individuals looking for recovery housing options. As a result, there is more federal funding that has been allocated to states to address the need for recovery housing. We learned the difference between housing that receives federal funding and housing that relies solely on the financial support from the tenants. For those that do not receive funding, it is typical for tenants to be charged rent on a weekly, as opposed to a monthly basis. This is to prevent the complex from losing money if a tenant does not pay a month’s worth of rent.

As we learned more about the process of becoming a certified rehabilitation home that is eligible for these funds, there seemed to be a juxtaposition on what this could do for the home. While the process of being certified could improve the quality of those living in the home, there have been instances where fully-functioning homes were shut down as a result of the process. For example, in one case the neighborhood didn’t realize a home was a recovery home, and when they found out through the certification process, they opposed and it was no longer allowed to operate. I am interested in learning more about the process of attaining a low-demand bed. Way explained that these were essentially spaces that were to be occupied by those experiencing homelessness in order to get off the streets, but not necessarily participate in a recovery program.