A single-family home in Chatham can continue to be used to change the lives of local men struggling with addiction.
Journeys Recovery Home opened its doors at 20 Joseph Street in June 2023.
The building can house eight people, seven men going through the three month program and one full-time staff member. Programming for the residents is provided both on and off-site and includes Alcoholics Anonymous, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and prayer and spiritual-based meetings.
While the program has been up and running, the facility technically fell under the definition of a temporary care facility in the Chatham-Kent Zoning By-law. This use wasn't permitted on the property's residential lot.
During Monday night's council meeting, councillors voted to amend the zoning of the lot. It will now officially be allowed to be used as a temporary care facility and have three off-street parking spaces.
The unanimous vote came after multiple deputations from not only employees of the non-profit organization, but also a neighbour of the facility and Reverend Michael Koppes who is a CK police chaplain and pastor at Praise Fellowship Church.
Margaret Butler, who lives directly across from the transitional housing, started her comments to council by thanking the founders of the project.
Butler described the situation on Joseph Street before Journey House as bleak, with a rise in crime and homelessness expanding from downtown.
"People who are in active use want to avoid one thing; accountability. I now have the answer to that problem across from my house," Butler said.
"There's healing going on right in front of my eyes every day," she added.
Butler remarked that the volunteerism, neighbourhood outreach, and kindness shown by the men going through the three month program is touching.
"As a single mom and a survivor of seventeen years of domestic violence at the hands of a man, [they are] restoring my faith in men," she stated. "They don't need seven beds, they need 12, they need one of the empty schools. This is the solution to Chatham's problems."
Koppes told council members that he's seen the program work and now calls some of the graduating participants his friends.
"I have personally seen successful results through the program of Journeys Recovery Home," the reverend commented. "I've seen something that's working, something that's taking these guys off the streets, and it's also giving them an opportunity to not only heal from addiction but to start fresh as a contributing member of our society."
The municipality was also presented with a petition signed by upwards of 1,300 CK residents who were in favour of the zoning change.
Just before the vote, Mayor Darrin Canniff said he was inspired by those who spoke and the work being done by Journeys Recovery Home.
"It warms my heart," he said.