After teetering on the brink of collapse, a $7.7 million deal has been finalized to bring four new substance-use recovery residences to Sonoma County. The project will provide 68 “sober living” beds, a critical addition for a county currently losing an average of 12 people per month to drug overdoses.
According to the Press Democrat, the agreement is a unique public-private partnership between the county, the nonprofit Buckelew Programs, and Poppy Bank. The deal was nearly derailed by months of bureaucratic gridlock and disagreements over financial risk, leading local developers Bill and Cindy Gallaher to nearly walk away from the project.
Under the final compromise, the county will use nearly $4 million in opioid settlement funds to help kickstart construction, while Poppy Bank provides a matching low-interest loan. The first two facilities are slated to break ground this March on Doyle Park Drive in Santa Rosa.
