Salvation Army unveils new recovery home in downtown Wichita

A new recovery home is opening downtown.

The Salvation Army of South Central Kansas previously used the space at 350 N. Market as a homeless shelter but has transitioned it to care for those in recovery. The shelter is meant to help those in need of mental health care and substance abuse treatment, as well as those experiencing homelessness.

Renovation of the space, which has has 21 new beds in three different units, cost around $1 million, and a grant helped pay for part of that. Getting as many beds as possible was a priority for the facility, said Salvation Army Major Nancy Powers, adding that the process of starting over begins where you lay your head at night.

“If you put someone in a rundown facility that looks terrible, that’s how they will feel,” Powers said. “What I have seen over and over again is when we bring somebody into a really nice facility, suddenly they like to make their bed. As crazy as that sounds, but they feel good.”

People can stay in the home for up to a year and it is free for those who need it. The Salvation Army says they’ll take people who don’t have insurance or aren’t able to get insurance through the state.

This recovery program focuses on teaching people life skills to get them back on their feet.

“When somebody leaves here, they are probably a taxpayer. They are able to take care of themselves financially. They have everything they need for their housing,” Powers said. “They have support groups and they know the skills that they need to stay clean and sober.”

Anyone can be referred to The Salvation Army for an evaluation. While the beds are empty now, the organization believes the beds will be filled soon.

“There aren’t enough programs, so we saw what was going on and wanting to solve the problem of homelessness,” Powers said. “We need to look at some of the real root causes, and that is substance use.”

The program will offer support meetings, group sessions, and one-on-one counseling.

This story is shared from KSN-TV through the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, a coalition of 11 newsrooms and community groups, including The Wichita Eagle. The WJC is embarking on 18 months of dedicated coverage to shed light on the pressing issue of affordable housing in Wichita.