The road to recovery

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness more than 578,000 people in the United States were sleeping on the streets or in emergency shelters in 2014. Many of the individuals who lack permanent housing suffer from substance abuse or mental health disorders that prevent them from finding safe living conditions.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that more than over 50 percent of the individuals living in supportive housing programs had either a substance use disorder, a psychiatric disorder, or both.

A homeless shelter in Idaho Falls is getting ready to launch a new recovery program in January aimed at helping men who are homeless and battling drug and alcohol addiction.

The program is called Renewed Life Recovery, it’s a year and a half long program that will teach men life skills and give them tools to help cope with addiction.

The recovery program will be modeled after the Union Gospel Mission in Spokane. Each person who will go through the program will get vocational training, and mentoring and will be challenged to stay sober.

“The Union Gospel Mission has been doing this for 30 to 40 years, we tailored ours to Bonneville County Idaho Falls. We are seeing more and more people battling addiction,” Mathews said.

Program coordinator Mark Matthews, who is a retired veteran, said the men who graduate will have a new lease on life.

“We are ready to get started. We are ready to transform lives,” Matthews said.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, alcohol abuse is one of the most common substance of abuse among people in the homeless community.

Watch tonight’s Local News 8 and KIDK Eyewitness News 3 to find out how many people this program is expected to help come the new year.