Covering the gap between what a person can pay and what a bed costs.
A certified recovery bed costs about $750 a month. Most people leaving treatment can pay part of that from work or benefits, but not all of it. The remaining gap — often a couple hundred dollars a month — determines whether a person can be housed. Tennessee Recovery Reserve measures that gap county by county and lets a congregation or donor cover it for one bed at a time, for as long as it's needed.
Funding is one form of support. Transportation, meals, meeting space, and employment are others. Partners indicate what they can offer, and the network directs it to a specific, documented need.
How a sponsored bed works
1. The gap is identified
A referral arrives from a treatment center or drug court and is screened. The network confirms what the person can pay and what a certified bed in their county costs. The difference is the funding gap.
2. The gap is covered
A partner's contribution goes to the housing operator, designated for that bed, month by month, for the duration of the stay. It does not go to a general fund or to overhead.
3. The outcome is reported
The partner is told when the person moves in and at thirty, sixty, and ninety days. Funding for a bed ends when that person's stay ends.