A local organization that supports residents looking to recover from alcohol, narcotics and prescription drug abuse has been forced to move from its former location and is now looking for a permanent home.
Community Recovery Alliance (CRA) provides recovery support free of charge to residents in Charlevoix and Emmet counties. The organization recently vacated its former location at 322 Bay St. in downtown Petoskey due to unsafe conditions.
A “notice of unsafe structure” has been placed on the property by Emmet County noting that occupancy is prohibited. The notice cites “significant water infiltration, structural damage and environmental conditions.” It also names Petoskey Land & Cattle Co. LLC as the property’s owner.
CRA closed its former office on April 10 and moved out three days later, more than a week before the county closed the structure, said executive director Caitlin Koucky.
“Because we had to leave with such short notice, we didn’t get the chance to find another location,” Koucky said. “The high cost of real estate is a problem for nonprofits like us. We’re trying to find other ways to support public recovery.”
Koucky said the organization serves as an alternative for people who don’t resonate with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups or are looking for other support options.
CRA offers its consulting services through recovery coaches. It also provides other resources like pathway meetings. Clients do not need to have health insurance to qualify.
While they have seen significant need for these services, the type of work CRA is involved with can also make it hard to find a location to lease, especially in high-traffic areas, Koucky said.
“Given what we do, we have been told by (landlords) that we’re not an allowable use,” Koucky said. “People are worried about having (clients) come to an office near them. There are a lot of barriers that we face.”
Koucky and her team are searching for a permanent space that ideally would fall between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet. CRA is attempting to raise funds to support programming and counseling in a variety of ways. It has received funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ opioid settlement fund, but additional support is still needed.
“Recovery activities are very expensive up here,” Koucky said.
At the moment, many CRA services have transitioned to virtual options. Zoom or phone-based recovery coaching is available, as are Zoom recovery meetings.
“Our priority remains to continue providing recovery support for individuals with minimal disruptions and focusing on maintaining continuity of care during this transition,” CRA wrote in a notice on its website.
For now, CRA is focusing on participating in more community events to raise awareness. It is holding client meetings at the Petoskey District Library, local coffee shops, the Emmet County Law Library and in other unique locations. It’s not a permanent option, but these temporary locations allow CRA to function remotely.
“We’re having to meet in unconventional places, but eventually we want to be in a (city) that is accessible to (clients),” Koucky said. “Some residents need to walk or use public transportation because they may have lost their license, and that property is just very expensive.”
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Community Recovery Alliance forced to vacate when Petoskey building found unsafe
Reporting by M. Alan Scott, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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