Lack of Funding Leaves Addiction Recovery Homes Struggling in Rural Connecticut

Recovery advocates say the 'forgotten corner' of northeastern Connecticut lacks the resources to support those in recovery from substance abuse.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 8:00pm

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Recovery advocates in rural northeastern Connecticut say the lack of funding for sober living programs is leaving residents without the housing, services and community support they need to reduce their chances of relapse. The region, known as the 'Quiet Corner' or 'forgotten corner', has seen high rates of overdoses and overdose deaths, but limited resources for addiction recovery programs. Sober homes like DeMalia's House of Hope and Kasia's Hope are struggling to stay open and fill beds due to a lack of state and local funding, leaving many in need without options.

Why it matters

The shortage of addiction recovery resources in rural areas like northeastern Connecticut can have devastating consequences, as people leaving treatment or detox have few options besides returning to unsafe living environments that increase their risk of relapse and overdose. Without a continuum of care and community support, the chances of long-term recovery become 'seemingly impossible' for many.

The details

Recovery homes in the region, like DeMalia's House of Hope and Kasia's Hope, are struggling to stay open and fill beds due to a lack of state and local funding. The state's basic needs program only covers a fraction of beds, and local nonprofits that could help cover costs in urban areas don't exist in the 'Quiet Corner'. As a result, many in need are turned away, forced to return to unsafe living situations that fuel the 'vicious cycle' of addiction.

  • Between 2021 and 2025, the Northeastern Connecticut Department of Health recorded 1,244 visits to emergency rooms and urgent care centers for suspected drug overdoses.
  • During that same period, 104 residents in the region died from an overdose, with the highest number of fatalities in Killingly (25 deaths), Plainfield (24 deaths) and Putnam (15 deaths).

The players

Andrew DeMalia

The founder of DeMalia's House of Hope, a six-bed sober living facility that opened in December 2025 and is struggling to fill its empty rooms due to lack of funding.

Terri Keaton

The director of Kasia's Hope, a 12-bed sober home for women in Putnam that has only managed to keep five beds occupied over the last three months due to funding challenges.

Phil Parizeau

The outgoing president of Quiet Corner Cares, a nonprofit started in 2019 to address, prevent and destigmatize substance use disorder in the region.

Amy Di Mauro

The senior vice president for adult behavioral health services at Community Health Resources, which operates the only residential substance use treatment facilities for women in Windham County.

Kasia Jurczyk

A young mother from Putnam who died at the age of 27 from a drug overdose in 2015, and whom Kasia's Hope sober home is named after.

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What they’re saying

“Right now, we have six beds. I have two residents. I'm continuously fielding calls from people at the lowest point in their lives, desperate for help, pleading, crying, and I have to turn them away because there's no funding to help get them in.”

— Andrew DeMalia, Founder, DeMalia's House of Hope (theday.com)

“We call this the Quiet Corner, I like to call it the forgotten corner.”

— Phil Parizeau, Outgoing President, Quiet Corner Cares (theday.com)

“If their food and their shelter is not covered, everything else goes to the sideline because for an addict, they go to what their survival skills are, and their survival skills are behaviors to stay warm, clothed and fed, and then their addiction becomes part of that.”

— Terri Keaton, Director, Kasia's Hope (theday.com)

“If you don't set people up for success, you're setting them up for failure.”

— Amy Di Mauro, Senior Vice President, Adult Behavioral Health Services, Community Health Resources (theday.com)

“We are going to recover loudly so people don't have to die quietly.”

— Terri Keaton, Director, Kasia's Hope (theday.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.