Hannah Bolton’s brother, Sam, lives on in every square inch of 1046 New Hampshire St.
The sober living home for women in recovery was officially unveiled with a ribbon cutting Wednesday afternoon. The idea for the home was sparked in Bolton after her brother died in early 2021.
Bolton said when Sam was navigating recovery before his death, he struggled to find a sober living home in Lawrence like the one unveiled Wednesday.
Just a few months after Sam’s death, Bolton was introduced to the property on New Hampshire Street. This fueled Bolton to fill a gap in the city’s housing offerings. She used money from a life insurance policy Sam left to start work on the home.
“I don’t know that Sam’s story could have ended any other way, but I do know that he is guiding me every day in this life,” Bolton said. “I know that he would be so supportive of this house, and he was a huge advocate for sober living.”
Bolton lost six family members between 2020 and 2023. The period of loss encouraged her to find a fresh start, she said. While on that journey, she decided to give the old property at 1046 New Hampshire St. a fresh start, too.
Throughout the house, beige paint and old furniture have been replaced with bright, colorful walls, energetic rugs and new furnishings.
The house does not provide rehab or treatment services, but instead functions as transitional housing for those who would benefit from sober living. Residents of the home are encouraged to stay a minimum of 90 days and actively participate in group programming activities. A weekly fee of $125 dollars covers rent, utilities, meals and laundry. Residents can stay a maximum of two years.
“I still believe recovery is the hardest thing anyone could ever do, and that is coming from someone who is not in recovery,” she said. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that Lawrence has the fewest available homes to individuals in recovery.”
The New Hampshire house received $383,000 from the county through its half-cent behavioral health sales tax. Bolton said support from city and county leaders was key to the project’s success. County Commissioners Karen Willey, Gene Dorsey and Shannon Reid were in attendance Wednesday. Vice Mayor Brad Finkeldei and Lawrence City Commissioner Bart Littlejohn were also present.
“There are some really special things happening here in Lawrence. There’s some big, big things happening in terms of getting people the right care that they need at the right time,” Bolton said. “I feel very lucky to be a part of it, and I think we’re going to be a model city at some point.”
Bolton said it was touching to see so many people come out to support the project. More than 50 people were in attendance Wednesday.
The home is the first project from the Cardinal Housing Network, an organization Bolton founded. Two houses on Ohio Street are projected to open later this year and offer seven apartments for women in advanced recovery and their children.
Bob Tryanski, Douglas County’s director of behavioral health projects and a friend of Bolton, said he first heard about the idea two years ago.
When the project was first described to him, he remembers a colleague saying it had a long way to go — Tryanski thought maybe three or four years.
Now, with the project complete after just two years, he said the success offered a vision for what could be accomplished when the city and county contribute resources toward important projects.
“I got to meet a person and a family and a vision and a dream for something better in Douglas County, for people who really need something better,” he said.
Kas Schutter, a resident of the home, said the home is a tribute to Sam and everyone else who needs a second chance. Schutter moved to Lawrence to be a part of the project’s mission.
“This moment means so much, not only because we’re opening the doors to Cardinal House, but because we’re opening the doors to hope, healing and new beginnings,” Schutter said.
Learn more about Cardinal Housing Network on its website, cardinalhousingks.org.
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Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his complete bio here. Read more of his work for the Times here.
