Group home

A new bill from Rep. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) would cap the number of residents at addiction recovery houses located in single-family residential neighborhoods at five people, while allowing higher occupancy in multi-family zones. The measure follows growing bipartisan concern over overcrowded and unsafe conditions at some Ohio group homes, which have proliferated amid the opioid epidemic. Ohio's Department of Behavioral Health took direct control of recovery house certification earlier this summer over similar concerns.

Lorenz, who previously worked at a group home in Mansfield, says the bill isn't meant to punish operators but to protect both residents and surrounding communities from unsafe, overcrowded setups, including makeshift rooms in garages or basements without proper egress or sprinklers. The bill would let communities limit new clusters of recovery houses but would not allow existing homes to be shut down. Lea Dooley of Ohio Recovery Housing has not taken a position on the bill, noting the bigger issue is a shortage of accredited, affordable recovery housing across the state rather than existing quality standards.

Jakob Blodgett, a 9-year-old with Type 1 diabetes, died in 2022 after staff at an Arizona group home run by Sunshine Residential Homes missed two doses of his long-lasting insulin and told an employee to give him water instead of medication. He developed brain swelling and died on a ventilator. Despite a licensing violation from the Department of Child Safety, the state imposed no fines, suspension, or license revocation, and no criminal charges have been filed, though a sheriff's investigation continues.

The case has become entangled in Arizona politics ahead of Gov. Katie Hobbs' reelection bid. Sunshine, the state's largest group home provider, made $550,000 in political contributions benefiting Hobbs, including gifts to her inaugural and legal defense funds, before receiving a 30% rate increase. Attorney General Kris Mayes found no evidence of bribery, attributing the increase to Sunshine's leverage as a dominant provider. Republican challenger Andy Biggs has seized on the scandal, while a state auditor general investigation and a county attorney probe remain ongoing. A separate diabetic teen died at another Arizona group home in 2024.

Jakob Blodgett, 9, died in 2022 after staff at a Sunshine Residential Homes group home in metro Phoenix missed two doses of his long-lasting insulin and reportedly told him to drink water instead. He was later hospitalized with brain swelling and died of complications from Type 1 diabetes. Arizona's Department of Child Safety issued a licensing violation against Sunshine but imposed no fines or license action.

The case has become entangled in political controversy as Gov. Katie Hobbs seeks reelection. Sunshine made roughly $550,000 in political contributions benefiting Hobbs, including funds tied to her inaugural committee and legal defense, before the company received a 30% rate increase from the state. Attorney General Kris Mayes found no evidence of bribery, attributing the increase to Sunshine's leverage as Arizona's largest group home provider. Republican challenger Andy Biggs has made the scandal central to his campaign, and Arizona's auditor general and a Maricopa County criminal investigation are ongoing. No one has been charged, and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Blodgett's family remains active.

A new Ohio legislative study committee, co-chaired by Rep. Andrea White (R-Kettering), held its first hearing to examine how the state handles youth adjudicated delinquent. The panel grew out of earlier legislation aimed at holding juvenile group homes accountable, after lawmakers learned that many delinquent youth are placed with children's services agencies rather than detention facilities, often alongside abused or traumatized foster children.

Testimony pointed to Ohio's RECLAIM program, which financially incentivizes judges to divert youth from state detention, shifting costs and responsibility onto an already strained child protective services system. Officials described rising, sometimes exploitative, placement rates charged by group home providers, and a concentration of homes in high-poverty Dayton-area neighborhoods where inexperienced staff and out-of-town placements have coincided with safety incidents, including assaults on residents. Committee members, including Rep. Erika White (D-Springfield Twp.), stressed balancing accountability with rehabilitation. The committee plans to issue a report with recommendations before the legislative session ends this year.