.png)
Concord, N.H. - Yesterday, Hope for New Hampshire announced the closure of 4 of their 5 recovery centers, citing lack of funding. These closures follow Manchester's Serenity Place going out of business just last month and two Cheshire County SUD centers at risk of closing because of financial difficulty.
Last week, Senate Republicans killed two bills that would have provided additional resources to fight the opioid crisis: The RESCUE Act would have offered $10 million through the Rainy Day fund, with no new taxes or fees and no use of the general fund. The other bill would have raised the alcohol fund from 3.4% to a full 5%, which would have provided more than $2 million in extra help for the crisis.
NHDP Chair Ray Buckley issued the following statement:
"Governor Sununu is clearly in over his head. Four recovery centers announced closure yesterday citing a need for more state funding. Democrats offered more than $12 million in additional funding with no new taxes or fees attached. Republicans voted down both bills last week along party lines. This funding could have kept recovery centers afloat across the state, but Republicans didn't like that Democrats were behind the proposals.
That's the only reasonable explanation for Sununu ignoring the bills and the Republicans rejecting them as the Governor asked for $350 million from the federal government for the crisis. The buck stops with Sununu and New Hampshire is losing ground in this crucial fight because of Sununu's neglect."
Concord Monitor: With no state funding, Hope for N.H. Recovery announces it's closing 4 of 5 resources centers
One of the state’s biggest nonprofits dedicated to helping people live sober unexpectedly announced it was closing four of its five support and recovery resource centers in the state, including the one in Concord, due to a lack of funding...
Barry said she didn’t believe the news when she heard it.
“It just didn’t make sense, given the problems we’ve been having with opioids in the state,” she said.
Hope for N.H. Recovery officials said the nonprofit has been without state aid since the start of this fiscal year in July and will close centers in Franklin, Claremont and Berlin, as well as Concord.
“When we were initially asked to open centers in these communities, we intended for them to be sustained via a blended funding stream. This stream was to consist of support from local businesses, organizations, and individuals as well as some state funding,” Scott Bickford, HOPE’s board chairman, wrote in the release.
“The funding just hasn’t materialized as we had hoped,” Executive Director Melissa Crews added...
NHPR: Serenity Place Going Out of Business After 40 Years
Serenity Place, the addiction treatment center tied to Manchester's Safe Station program, will be shutting its doors after more than four decades of operation.
The nonprofit has severe financial problems and was court-ordered Tuesday to begin the liquidation process next month.
Keene Sentinel: Local program fighting opioid crisis faces possible shutdown A Cheshire County program that provides 24/7 assistance and counseling to people with substance use disorders could be forced to shut down, unless New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services acts quickly to establish a new funding strategy for it and similar programs across the state.
###