Journey Home Reapplying for Conditional Use Permit in Sauk Rapids

SAUK RAPIDS (WJON News) -- A transitional housing facility in Sauk Rapids will begin the process of reapplying for a Conditional Use Permit Tuesday.

Journey Home is asking the city's Planning Commission to approve the CUP. The facility at 1485 10th Avenue Northeast has been operating since 2006. The original CUP was to operate a 38-unit facility for women, 16 years old and older, at no more than 20 hours a week.

Journey Home expanded in 2013 by 16 units.

In 2020 they submitted an application to the city that would allow them to help men as well as women and expand their hours beyond 20 hours per week to the residents.

A significant increase in police calls to Journey Home over the past 19 months caused city staff to reexamine Journey Home's land use approvals. There were 60 calls for service there in 2022 and 68 calls for service in 2021. During that process, it was discovered that the facility was in violation of its CUP.

The city council voted unanimously that Journey Home was in violation and gave them 90 days to apply for a new CUP.

The new application would allow them to remove the number of hours treatment may be provided on-site and allow them to offer services to both men and women. If the planning commission approves the new CUP it will then go to the city council for their consideration later this month.