The recovery house will be located in Portland and will have 12 beds. It will also accept women who do not have insurance. They will be able to pay on a sliding scale based on their income.

Advocates say there are about 70 recovery houses in the Greater Portland Area but only about a quarter of those are for women.

Krista Rickett struggled with alcohol addiction after her husband died of cancer. She ended up at the Oxford Street shelter because she couldn’t find a placement in a recovery house. She finally was able to get into a sober house thanks to a scholarship.

She says the structure and support from other women is helping her stay clean.

“Having support of other women in the same place is what did it for me,” Rickett said.

Advocates say historically there have been more services and recovery centers for men, but that is slowly beginning to change.

For more information you can go to www.milestone-recovery.org