There is plenty of room for women right now at Vineyard House, the Island’s only sober living facility.

The residential campus in Vineyard Haven that opened in 2014 has the capacity to house five women in the early stages of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Currently, there is only one woman living there.

“Traditionally, women have always had a tougher time coming into recovery,” said executive director Kate Desrosiers in a recent interview. “It’s very hard for a woman to say, okay, this is my time. I’m going to leave for 18 months,” she said.

Founded in 1997, Vineyard House is a residential community for Islanders in the early stages of recovering from substance use disorder. The seven-year-old campus was designed for group living, with residents able to stay up for 18 months.

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, Vineyard House took steps to reduce its census to ensure the safety of residents, but it has been gradually welcoming more vaccinated individuals.

Vineyard House currently has plenty of open rooms for women. — Ray Ewing

There are now 19 spots for men, 14 of which are currently filled and two more about to be occupied. Ms. Desrosiers said the lopsided allotment reflects differences in demand by gender. Since the opening of the new campus, the men’s house has often had a waiting list for admission.

Ms. Desrosiers said gender disparities affect recovery homes everywhere, not just on the Island. Leaving home and family is frequently a more difficult decision for women than men, she said, in part because child care responsibilities tend to disproportionately fall on women.

“We cannot take children in the house. And that’s difficult. Not that many women’s recovery homes actually take children,” she said.

Vineyard House has made efforts to better understand and address this issue, Ms. Desrosiers said. A few years ago a task force was assembled that resulted in changes in the women’s home. Among the modifications were increasing the number of single rooms. “Women need that privacy,” she said.

The lower level of the house was also renovated into a living room area so women could bring children in and spend time together, playing or watching movies.

A central initiative has been the creation of the parent program, a rent subsidy program that aims to ease the financial burden for parents taking on the additional expense of paying to live at Vineyard House. Despite the modest rent, Ms. Desrosier said, cost has been a frequent obstacle for both men and women— and as a result many end up not staying for a full 18 months. The problem is compounded by the fact that many people struggling with addiction are already facing financial issues.

Ms. Desrosiers said the parent program — which is for mothers and fathers alike — enables parents to leave during the day to meet their responsibilities as caregivers and return in the evenings to attend recovery meetings and be part of the Vineyard House community.

“We recognize that that’s a job,” she said, referring to parenting. “And if that’s what you’re doing, we will allow you to

call that your job, and we will pay you in terms of rent credit.”

Ms. Desrosiers said the program has been effective and well received, particularly at the height of the pandemic when remote schooling put added demands and pressures on many parents.

But she said having fewer women in the house makes it more challenging to create a sense of community, an essential component of the recovery process.

“The best thing about living in a recovery home is the community, and we need some community again,” Ms. Desrosiers said.

She said women from across the age spectrum who need help with recovery can fit in and benefit from Vineyard House. And she identified older women in particular as a demographic that might feel uncertain about the prospect of moving to the facility.

“I don’t know if people believe that it might be just for younger people, but it’s definitely not. All the ages get along really well together and support each other,” she said.

Ms. Desrosiers is ready to show any interested women around the campus, which she dubbed “a little green oasis.”

“We can go through the house and they can see how lovely it is and what a supportive environment it is here,” she said.

Prospective Vineyard House residents can call 508-693-8580 for information. Residents are encouraged to have completed detox prior to admission, must be 18 years of age or older and live on the Island. Residents must attend 12-step meetings, adhere to house rules and submit to random drug and alcohol screening. For more information, go to www.vineyardhouse.org.