alt Lake County and Odyssey House of Utah officially opened a new sober living facility in Murray on Aug. 27, welcoming community members, state leaders and treatment advocates to tour the site and learn about its mission.

Anchor Point, located at 671 E. 4800 South, adds 20 transitional beds to Odyssey House’s network of sober living homes across the Salt Lake Valley. The program is designed to help individuals maintain long-term recovery while reintegrating into the community after treatment, jail time or participation in Salt Lake County drug court programs.

The new facility is partially funded through opioid settlement dollars, with support from both the state and Salt Lake County. County officials emphasized its role in meeting goals outlined in the Human Services, Homelessness and Criminal Justice Action Plan.

Dignitaries gathered on the front lawn for remarks before a ribbon cutting at the facility’s entrance. Among the speakers were Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, Utah State Rep. Jim Dunnigan and Odyssey House President Adam Cohen. A former Odyssey House resident also shared a personal account of transitioning into long-term recovery.

Following the ceremony, attendees toured Anchor Point and spoke with program staff. The event concluded with a reception offering light refreshments.

According to Randall Carlisle, Media and Community Affairs representative for Odyssey House, Anchor Point will operate under the organization’s highly structured transitional sober living model.

“We have curfews, a supervisor on every site, regular group meetings to talk about any problems our clients are facing, room checks to make sure there's no contraband, vouchers to cover the first three months of living there, then reduced rates based on a person's income,” Carlisle explained. “Also regular drug testing.”

Odyssey House currently operates multiple sober living sites, now totaling 120 beds. Carlisle said demand for space remains high. “We have a waiting list for sober living so we are always trying to expand,” he said.

The average length of stay in Odyssey’s sober living facilities ranges from three months to a year, with applicants vetted by the director of transitional living. Carlisle said the organization prioritizes continuity of care.

“Success is measured first and foremost on long-term recovery. Most clients in sober living have jobs and continue their therapy in our intensive outpatient program,” he said.

Each house has a manager, often an Odyssey graduate, reinforcing the program’s emphasis on peer mentorship. “We believe peer support is critical when a client gets to the stepdown stage of sober living,” Carlisle said. He added that clients also have access to long-term graduate support groups and medical care through Odyssey’s Martindale Clinic.

Carlisle highlighted the program’s ongoing collaboration with county reentry services. “We have always been coordinating with county reentry programs like drug court. Many of our clients are still in drug court,” he said.

He also pointed to a positive relationship with Murray itself. “We have a great working relationship with Murray City. In fact, several of our transitional living facilities have been in Murray for years,” Carlisle said.

Anchor Point is the latest addition to Odyssey House’s efforts to provide stepdown services for individuals in recovery from substance use and mental health crises. With the new facility, leaders hope to address both the immediate demand for sober living and the county’s broader public health and safety goals.

For Odyssey House, the expansion represents another step in building a continuum of care that bridges treatment with community living. As Carlisle summarized, “When clients get to the stepdown stage, our goal is to give them the structure, accountability and support they need to succeed.”