New Sober Living House for Women
Throughout the Gunnison Valley, community members value being a caring community that fosters a sense of belonging. Residents put that value into action every single day in the way they show up for each other. They give their time and their money to supporting friends, neighbors, and even people they haven’t met yet in countless ways through actions big and small. The way our community has mobilized to support Gunnison Sanctuary Housing (GSH) over the last few years is an inspiring example of that commitment to care. And now you’ve done it again! GSH officially opened the first sober living home for women and women with children in Gunnison County.
Introducing Oxford House-Hartman Rocks
In our 2024 Annual Report, we wrote about GSH’s recent successes with their men’s home, Oxford House-Castles. The organization had completed a successful Giving Connection campaign to add a third bathroom, and Mary Beth Kelley, one of GSH’s founders, shared that a generous donation from a couple allowed them to completely pay off the mortgage. With the men’s home financially secure, GSH could finally start looking for a home for women, including women with children, living in recovery. When we interviewed Mary Beth in February for the Annual Report story, she wasn’t sure about the timeline. Between challenges with the local real estate market and finding a floorplan that would work for both women and their children, she thought the process might take some time.
However, grants from the Southwest Colorado Opioid Regional Council and funding secured through Gunnison County Juvenile Services, along with generous private donations, sped up the timeline significantly. With funding secured, GSH located a house with the right layout, location, and price—though the roof needed replacement. After GSH went under contract, they approached CFGV, and the William B. Endner Fund was able to provide a grant to cover the new roof cost.
Local contractor Christopher Klein Construction managed to fit the job in before winter, replacing the roof and adding egress windows to bedrooms so the house could open for residents just one month after closing. Once the major work was complete, Mary Beth put out a call to the community—and people responded. Community members and Six Points donated furniture, bedding, art, and more to transform the house into a welcoming home, ready for residents to move in.
Gunnison Sanctuary Housing shared the photos in the gallery below of the house ready for residents to move in.
More on Gunnison Sanctuary Housing
For more on Gunnison Sanctuary Housing’s efforts to provide transitional housing for people in recovery in Gunnison County, head to kbut.org to listen to Mary Beth on West Elk Word. You can also follow the organization on Facebook for more regular updates.
Simplified Summary
The Gunnison Valley community came together to help open the first sober living home for women in Gunnison County. This special house, called Oxford House-Hartman Rocks, is owned by Gunnison Sanctuary Housing (GSH). It’s a place where women who are getting better from addiction can live safely. The house can also help women who have children with them. The community has always been good at helping each other, and this project shows how much people care about their neighbors.
GSH already had a house for men. After paying off that house completely, they wanted to find one for women too. They got money from grants and private donations to buy a house, but it needed a new roof. The Community Foundation gave them money to fix the roof, and a local construction company finished the work quickly before winter came. Once the house was ready, community members donated furniture, beds, and decorations to make it feel like a real home. Now women in recovery have a safe place to live while they work on getting their lives back on track.
