The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Building could become rehab facility
Possibility sparks discussion among Elyria officials
The possibility of using the building that used to be Elyria’s Health Department for a women’s drug rehab facility is sparking discussion in the city.
A men’s rehab facility, LCADA Way and nonprofit Primary Purpose want to use the building at 202 Chestnut St. to house and help treat women in Elyria or Lorain County in general who battle addiction.
Some Elyria officials also feel that housing for women in need of support is needed in the community and believe it would be a benefit to many women and their families.
However, at City Council’s Dec. 4 meeting, resident John Faltay said he owns two properties in the area and if he would have known the land would be used as a rehab facility, he would have not invested. Although, he added it’s a good cause, it’s something he does not want in his neighborhood.
Faltay said that in the state of women who are affected by drugs and alcohol, they may not be able
to appropriately take advantage of the facility and use its benefits for good. He believes the facility will not be a secure rehab center, that it may bring more trouble into the area and could possibly have a negative effect on the value of his property as the owner.
“The people that reside in my properties are families who do care,” he said about others’ concerns in the neighborhood about the addition of the facility.
However, resident Joann Grier spoke out in favor of the idea, saying she believes a transitional home in Elyria is needed.
Reuth Ministries is the name of what Grier titles an outreach she does to offer care to homeless individuals throughout the county and Northeast Ohio. She said that during a time in her life, she suffered from drug addiction and was homeless, but after seeking faith she decided to help anyone who was in her position and give hope.
Grier also said that she provides food and clothing to any homeless individual she meets in the community that may need it, especially during this time of year.
If the city provides a new system of transitional housing, Grier believes that it will work and that Elyria is the right area to have the facility.
The rehab center will give them hope and have a new outlook on life, she added.
“When one person has one day of recovery, that is a milestone in their lifetime,” she said. “It can only keep going from there.”
Grier said such a facility could offer all the right tools to assist not only the woman or person in need but also can help build a better relationship for families and their children.
Mayor Holly Brinda said she believes that having an easy accessible facility for women is a need in the community.
She said that Primary Purpose has a good track record of being able to provide transitional housing. Brinda said it is important if they can provide it for women who have addiction and their children.
She added that the right care will be provided for patients and they will be heavily supervised during their stay.
The mayor said council has thought about the possibility very carefully and are still listening to what citizens are saying. Before voting, legislators will be taking all outlooks into consideration, she said.
To hear more thoughts on the new facility, members of City Council noted there will be a public hearing at 7 p.m., Jan. 2. They also said a tour of another facility in Sheffield Village will be offered to help citizens get a glimpse of what the Elyria facility could be like. In other news: • Council voted to take a loan of $350,000 from the demutialization fund to put into the city’s Community Improvement Corporation in order to perform site restoration.
The loan will be made to hire a contractor that will clean up a brownfield site off of Taylor Street. A fire there destroyed the site of the former General Industries in 2008, and the owner was not able to finish the cleaning process.
According to Brinda, the city stepped in with the Community Improvement Corporation and acquired the property by receiving a grant through Jobs Ohio of $300,000 to help for a $500,000 clean up. The city will use the additional funds from the demutualization fund to put into the CIC as a loan, then will be reimbursed after the project is complete.