Becky's House gets funding from mental health board

SANDUSKY — The local mental health board started providing funding for Becky's House, a 43-bed Sandusky recovery housing facility for women being treated for substance abuse disorders.Becky's House, which opened early last year, is run by Road to Hope, a recovery housing organization based in Lorain County but has a growing presence in Erie County. All of the beds in Becky's House are filled and there is a waiting list for women seeking entry.The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Erie and Ottawa Counties on Tuesday approved a contract with Road to Hope for Becky's House that will run to the end of the current fiscal year, until June 30, and will pay up to about $126,300.The board will pay for Erie and Ottawa county women staying at Becky's House at a rate of about $24 per day, covering women who otherwise cannot pay for their stay, said Brenda Cronin, executive director of the mental health board.Jeff Kamms, the founder and executive director of Road to Hope, attended Tuesday's mental health board meeting. Kamms said in two weeks, Becky's House will mark its anniversary of when it first opened in Erie County."We're glad to be in Erie County," Kamms said. "We just thank you for moving us forward."Kamms said the contract OK'd Thursday will be the first time Becky's House has received funding from the mental health board. He said he wanted to get the operation established before asking for money.Road to Hope also has taken over managing Genesis by the Lake, which is in Vermilion and also provides recovery housing for women and for their children. Road to Hope began providing management at Genesis last year and succeeded in reviving the operation, filling the available beds.In addition, Road to Hope announced plans to open an additional recovery housing unit for women and move its administrative offices to the former McKenzie Woods motel at 1863 Liberty Ave. in Vermilion. Kamms has said he hopes to begin operations by November of this year.Road to Hope executive director Jeff Kamms stands in the hallway at Becky's House, a Road to Hope Community, in Sandusky in February 2019.