JACKSON, Mich — Andy's Place, in Jackson, is expanding its mission to help those recovering from addiction with 26 new units opening this week, including 11 specifically for families.
- Andy's Place has been providing resources to those recovering from addiction for five years.
- The new expansion includes 11 units specifically designed for families, and 15 single-bedroom.
- Founder Mike Hirst created the facility in honor of his son who died from a heroin overdose in 2010.
Last year, Andy's Place received a $3 million appropriation from the state budget to expand, with the whole expansion costing $8 million.
WATCH: Andy's Place expands recovery housing for families battling addiction in Jackson
For AJ Jones and her family, Andy's Place has become more than just housing – it's a community of support. "It's been a breath of relief, just having that community," Jones said. She lives at Andy's Place with her fiancé and two children, finding strength in a community that understands her journey. "Having people that have been in that same experience just makes the community stronger, because they all know what we're battling, what we have to face. We all are each other's supports," Jones said.
WATCH: Andy's Place receives a $3 million appropriation from the state
Soon, more families like Jones' will find their place here as 26 new units, including 11 specifically for families, prepare to open this week. "We really want to give the young moms, or dads, and kids a real shot at life that are suffering from substance abuse," Mike Hirst said.
Hirst is the founder of Andy's Place. He opened this apartment complex in 2020, in honor of the son he lost to a heroin overdose in 2010. "We do everything we possibly can to help them get back on their own two feet and learn how to walk on their own," Hirst said.
For five years, Andy's Place has provided resources to those recovering from addiction. According to American Addiction Centers, a 2023 survey from the federal government states that nearly 50 million Americans battled a substance use disorder that year.
At Andy's Place, Hirst says they're seeing people make positive changes in their lives. "We have a lot of success stories. We have people that have lived here since we opened, so they've been here five years. They've never been clean that long that they can possibly remember in their entire life," Hirst said.
"Oh he would be so proud. His name's outside there. He was a social person, so he would be ecstatic about this for sure," Hirst said in regards to what his son would think about Andy's Place.
For families like Jones', Andy's Place offers more than just housing – it provides safety and peace of mind. "It's a much safer place than where we have been, even sober, just because we're not surrounded by all the triggers and all the trauma that's happening right now. That just gives me peace of mind, as a mother," Jones said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
