Butler County Mental Health Addiction Recovery Services, or MHARS, provided $286,000 in capital funds for the facility, which will features 18 bedrooms for nine men and nine women recovering from addiction.
Last year, 88 Butler County residents died from suspected fatal drug overdose.
So far in 2025 there have been 341 suspected drug overdose emergency department visits and 50 suspected fatal overdoses, according to the Butler County Overdose Data Dashboard.
A spike in March included 19 overdose deaths, while other months this year saw between 6-9.
To be eligible, residents must be abstinent from a substance for 30 days, be enrolled in an intensive outpatient treatment program and pay $100 a week in rent.
A staff member will be onsite with residents at all times and will work to connect residents to job opportunities, legal assistance and other support.
“The goal is to help them get into permanent place, and create a safe, sober plan,” Erica Norton, chief marketing officer of Freya’s Hen House, said. “We help them get their license back if possible, get a car when they are ready, and get employment. We help them meet milestones. Some might be quicker than others.”
MHARS board funding will also allow the facility to accept those with disabilities.
“I hated turning people with disabilities away because they deserve a chance just like everyone else,” Norton said. “It’s been a long time coming but the amount of people we’re going to help makes it all worth it.”
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