WOODBURN, Ore. — A new transitional living program for fathers battling with drug addiction has opened in Woodburn. The program, called His House, provides substance use disorder treatment services and transitional housing with onsite childcare.
"It's really important because if not, I would have lost my child," said 27-year-old Freddy Rosales. "After this program, they are actually helping me get a housing voucher and moving into an apartment hopefully."
Rosales has pictures of his 18 month old son Mason all over his wall. He said he use to struggle with a meth addiction but has been clean for more than two months now. Rosales wants to use his time in the program to become a better father.
The program cost around $750,000. Seven fathers, along with their children, will be able to live inside the transitional home.
His Place is meant to give fathers a home where they can support each other and feel connected to other men dealing with the same issues. Staying sober is the top priority. Jeremy Musselman struggled with meth addiction for years. He was in and out of jail and now wants to become a better father.
"Instead of letting them get lost in DHS, I can have them here and it's going to open up doors and hopefully it speeds up the process of getting my other son back too — they deserve it," said Musselman.
Outreach workers help the fathers find stable housing once they leave the program. Alexander Salgado Maya, 20, struggled with fentanyl addiction for years before getting clean, and now he's thankful for the support.
"It's super hard," Salgado Maya said. "You just never think you have an issue until you realize you're losing everything around you. I don't even wish it upon my worse enemy."
Children are allowed to live in the house with their fathers but they must be under the age of 5. An expansion could come in the future with a home where couples can work on their addiction recovery together.