From the ED's Desk - Reconsideration of Sale
I was pleased to see Representative Mary Jane Wallner’s prime sponsorship of HB 1569 and strongly encourage lawmakers to vote in favor of the bill.
The Anna Philbrook Center for Children building on the State Hospital campus has served the community well as a sixteen-bed transitional housing facility for patients ready to be discharged from the State Hospital since it opened as Philbrook Adult Transitional Housing (PATH) in September 2022.
As a taxpayer in the City of Concord, I understand the appeal of returning the property to the city’s tax rolls or converting it into parking for patrons at Memorial Field. However, the resulting destabilization of the state’s mental health system is a grave concern to those of us who work to provide safe, affordable, and supportive housing in Concord—especially considering the loss of ten beds on Fayette Street in a facility operated by Riverbend in July 2025.
Currently, the state has received only one response to its Request for Proposals for ninety-two transitional beds, which, once awarded, will merely maintain the status quo in terms of available capacity. Meanwhile, the boarding crisis in the emergency rooms at our community hospitals continues to worsen, and the number of individuals ready for discharge from the State Hospital continues to grow.
I applaud lawmakers for reconsidering the sale of this resource and will lead the standing ovation when the next step is taken to keep it operational as a transitional housing facility—at a significantly lower cost than housing individuals who are ready for discharge at the State Hospital.
GIVE