Filling the Gap: The Urgent Need for Recovery Housing for Women and Children in the St. Croix Valley

In rural areas across Wisconsin, the journey to recovery can be especially difficult—not because people aren’t motivated to heal, but because the resources simply aren’t there. This region, like many rural regions in Western Wisconsin, is facing a silent crisis: a critical lack of supportive recovery housing for women and children.

A recent report titled “A Just Recovery for Rural Equity in Wisconsin” highlights the systemic inequities rural communities face. From limited access to behavioral health services to the lack of stable housing options, rural residents are often left without the supports that make long-term recovery possible. For women—particularly those with children—the barriers are even greater.

Many treatment programs are short-term, and while they offer crucial initial stabilization, recovery doesn’t end when treatment does. Women leaving these programs often find themselves with nowhere to go. Without safe, substance-free housing and continued support, many fall through the cracks, risking relapse, family separation, and a return to instability.

Recovery housing fills this gap.

More than just a roof overhead, recovery homes offer structured support, accountability, and community. They are places where women can continue their recovery journeys surrounded by peers who understand their experiences. When designed to include children, they offer the added benefit of keeping families together—an essential factor in healing from trauma and breaking cycles of substance use.

In the St. Croix Valley, this kind of housing is virtually nonexistent.

That’s why Peer Perspective Inc. is working to change that. Grounded in lived experience and a deep understanding of the needs in our area, our vision is to create supportive, peer-led recovery housing that welcomes women and their children. We believe recovery is not only possible—it’s sustainable when people have the right supports in place.

As we continue to build partnerships, raise funds, and lay the groundwork for this initiative, we remain focused on our goal: to bring hope and healing to the heart of Western Wisconsin, one family at a time.

If you’re interested in learning more or supporting this mission, we invite you to reach out. Together, we can create meaningful change—and close the gap in recovery support for rural women and their children.

learn more about Peer Perspective Inc here