HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania is directing more than $1.2 million into recovery housing and support services aimed at young adults grappling with opioid and stimulant use disorders, part of a new push the Shapiro Administration says will expand safe places to live and peer-driven services for people ages 18 to 24 across 14 counties.
The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs said it is partnering with Single County Authorities — county drug and alcohol offices — to expand recovery housing capacity and strengthen recovery support services that can help young adults stabilize after treatment, avoid relapse, and build routines tied to long-term recovery.
“Recovery housing is a vital recovery support service that promotes the four major dimensions of a life in recovery: health, home, purpose, and community,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones. “We know that young adults face unique barriers to sustained recovery, including fewer connections to recovery supports and unstable housing. These grants amplify the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to breaking down those barriers by providing individuals with the support needed to sustain long-term recovery.”
Recovery houses are substance-free, structured living environments built around peer support and connections to services that promote sustained recovery, the agency said. Pennsylvania currently has about 430 DDAP-licensed recovery houses, and licensure is required for houses to receive referrals from state agencies or state-funded facilities or to receive federal or state funding for recovery house services.
The new grant funding is intended to supplement — not replace — existing resources, DDAP said, allowing counties to expand capacity within licensed recovery houses serving this age group and to broaden access to non-clinical recovery supports such as care coordination, recovery coaching, spiritual counseling, group support, job training, transportation, and help accessing housing. Those services are person-centered and self-directed, letting individuals choose their provider, the department said.
Nine grants, running through Tuesday, September 30, 2026, were awarded to county authorities serving these 14 counties:
Berks County Council on Chemical Abuse in Berks County; Blair County Drug and Alcohol Program, Inc. in Blair County; Columbia Montour Snyder Union Drug & Alcohol Services serving Columbia, Montour, Snyder, and Union counties; the Delaware County Department of Human Services, Division of Drug and Alcohol Programs in Delaware County; the Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Erie County; the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs serving Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties; the Somerset Single County Authority for Drug and Alcohol in Somerset County; the Westmoreland Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc. in Westmoreland County; and the York Adams Drug and Alcohol Commission serving York and Adams counties.
“The Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse appreciates this investment and strongly supports DDAP’s continued focus on recovery housing and recovery support services,” said Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Executive Director Scott Coughenour. “These funds will allow Erie County to build on existing licensed recovery housing infrastructure, strengthen community partnerships, and ensure recovery services remain viable, accessible, and responsive to our local needs.”
“These funds will allow our SCA to address critical areas that fall under social determinants of health including transportation, childcare, vocational training, and employment,” said Barbara Durkin, director of the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs. “We look forward to seeing the positive community health outcomes that these funds will produce.”
DDAP said the grants are funded through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s State Opioid Response grant program, which provides state-by-state allocations intended to reduce unmet treatment needs and opioid-related overdose deaths.
The department said it will monitor outcomes and accountability through established data collection systems and provide technical assistance to county authorities throughout the grant period. DDAP said it plans to continue prioritizing recovery housing and support services through ongoing collaboration with counties, providers, and community partners statewide, noting that 47 Single County Authorities cover all 67 counties.
At the local level, SCAs provide services including case management, housing assistance, prevention programs, naloxone training and distribution, peer-led recovery services, and coordination of treatment services for uninsured and underinsured residents, DDAP said.
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