For women in Grand Forks, North Dakota, completing addiction treatment has long meant facing a difficult question, where do you go next?
For years, there were no transitional living options for women in recovery in the Grand Forks area. That gap is now being filled, one room at a time.
Established in December 2024 by local Realtor Alison Cruz, The 209 House is a transitional living space for women who are completing treatment for drug or alcohol addiction.
It offers something that formal treatment programs often can’t, which is a real home, peer connection and the time and stability to rebuild a life.
Why Transitional Housing Is a Key Part of Addiction Treatment
Addiction treatment doesn’t end when someone walks out of an inpatient rehab program. Recovery is a long-term process, and housing instability is one of the biggest threats to it.
Without a stable place to return to, many people in recovery are forced back into the same environments where they were using, and for most, that leads directly to relapse.
This is the problem The 209 House was created to solve. Up to eight women can live at the house at a time. To be accepted, residents must be sober for at least 30 days and complete an application process. A minimum stay of three months is preferred, with stays lasting up to a year.
The environment is intentionally different from a clinical facility. Cruz describes it as homey and family-based, with a support system of women rather than an institutional feel.
Signs of Addiction That Often Go Unaddressed in Women
Addiction in women can look different than in men, and it often goes unrecognized longer. Common signs of drug or alcohol addiction include withdrawing from family and friends, neglecting responsibilities at home or work, mood swings, secrecy around behavior and an inability to stop using despite wanting to.
Women are also more likely to face co-occurring issues like trauma, domestic violence, and depression that fuel substance use and complicate recovery.
The 209 House takes this reality seriously. Cruz has pointed out that addiction isn’t a simple choice. It is rooted in entire cycles of poverty, abuse, neglect and mental health challenges.
How The 209 House Supports Women in Recovery in Grand Forks
In its first year, 26 individuals, 23 women and three children, stayed at The 209 House. Not every story ended in success, but Cruz says even those who returned to treatment or faced legal setbacks found real value in having a safe place to land.
One of the most powerful parts of the model is lived experience. Amanda Luedtke, who battled addiction for approximately 20 years, became the house manager after nine months as a resident and 23 months in recovery.
Her role is more than administrative. Luedtke understands what residents are going through and connects them directly to resources or provides hands-on support, a dynamic Cruz credits as a key reason The 209 House has worked.
Cruz is also working to reduce one of the biggest barriers for women leaving recovery from addiction and co-occurring disorders, which is housing rejection due to criminal records.
She recently purchased another property and allowed Luedtke, who faced repeated rejections as a felon, to rent it, removing a wall that stops many people in recovery from moving forward.
The 209 House Is Growing and North Dakota Needs It
Cruz hopes to expand The 209 House, whether by adding another building or acquiring additional properties to rent to women who are ready to live independently.
The organization operates as a nonprofit through the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region as its fiscal sponsor, and currently receives no state or federal funding. If you or loved one need additional help, you can find top mental health and substance abuse treatment centers in Grand Forks.
For families in North Dakota watching a loved one struggle, stories like this are a reminder that addiction treatment options do exist locally, and community-based support can make the difference between relapse and lasting recovery.
Finding Addiction Treatment Options in North Dakota
If you or someone you love is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction in Grand Forks or across North Dakota, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Addiction treatment centers near you offer detox, inpatient, outpatient and transitional programs tailored to individual needs.
Addictions.com lists verified drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers in North Dakota. Call
800-681-1058
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