MAN SMART, WOMAN SMARTER –
Sept. 6, 2023 – The settlement funds began flowing in 2022 and will continue incrementally until 2038, with these companies collectively paying over $50 billion in nationwide settlements.
On Tuesday, District 2 Supervisor John Howard, who is House of Hope’s chairman, recused himself from the vote but explained that the funds are a stepping stone to completing the facility.
“It’s well-needed,” he said. “The courts are excited; probation is excited, and the existing home for men has a good track record. Hopefully, within a year to a year and a half, we can proceed with the building,” Howard said. “All the infrastructure is already in place, and the location is next to the men’s housing but will be fenced and gated. It will have the same layout, but with more office space.”
The men’s home has been operational for two years and is located at 608 W. First St. in Safford, a large single-floor building with multiple living spaces. The women’s facility will be next door and will house 12 occupants. Children will not be housed with their mothers, Howard said, as the facility isn’t large enough to accommodate children with 12 adults. Many of the women entering the facility will have recently completed rehab or incarceration, and during their stay, Howard stressed that participants should focus on their recovery.
