(Riverton, WY) – Rent in Fremont County has climbed steadily since the pandemic, and for people coming out of treatment, jail, or homelessness, the hoops of a security deposit, a credit check, and a background check can make housing nearly impossible. Eagles Hope in Riverton exists to bridge that gap, and it is the only transitional housing facility of its kind in the county.
“People would go off to treatment, and then when they came back, all they had was the streets,” said Devin Anderson, the director of Eagles Hope. “This is a place where people come after treatment, and they’re trying to get their life back together.”
Anderson knows the way of the comeback firsthand. He and his wife Shannon met in 2009 and later fell into serious drug and alcohol addiction in Lander. After completing treatment around 2019, the couple decided a fresh start meant leaving their old circles behind. They moved into Eagles Hope and went through the program themselves. Devin began working for the organization under previous director Michelle Widmayer, and when she left about two years ago, the board promoted him to director.
A room is decorated for children inside one of the facility’s $500 two bedroom apartments. All of the apartments come with bedding and some furniture for renters. h/t Carl Cote One of Eagle’s Hope’s $400 studio rooms is ready for rent with everything a renter needs to move in. h/t Carl Cote The smallest option at Eagle’s Hope is this small $300 furnished room at their Main Street location in Riverton. h/t Carl Cote
That personal history shapes how he runs the place. “It’s different when you know it,” he said. “Because of my experience, I’ve got a pretty good eye on catching things before it becomes an issue. Just slight changes in people’s behavior can be a pretty good indicator.”
Eagles Hope houses people from all kinds of situations. Sometimes it’s residents coming back from treatment, or people navigating probation, parole, drug court, or reentry from prison. Often, it’s families working with the Department of Family Services to regain custody of their children, and people fleeing domestic violence. An addiction is not a requirement to live there. The only hard line is that the facility cannot accept anyone with sex crimes, since children live on the property and a school sits nearby.
The facility has 19 rooms and a waiting list that often has scores of potential renters. There is no credit check to move in, and a job is not required, though Anderson tells residents they need to get something figured out sooner rather than later. Applicants must pass a drug test to move in. Rooms run from $300 for the smallest unit to $500 for a two-bedroom apartment, with all utilities included, plus access to a laundry room, a food pantry, and a communal living area and kitchen where residents can meet with caseworkers and social workers. Residents can stay up to two years, though the average stay is around a year. Anderson said the facility has had to loosen that limit lately because housing in Fremont County has become much harder to find and afford.
The successes are what keep the place going. Anderson described a woman who had never touched a substance but was living out of her car when dementia began to set in. Eagles Hope housed her for several years, helped square away her finances, and got her placed in assisted living. Another resident arrived from the streets and years of an abusive relationship. More than two years later, she is close to living on her own for the first time in her life. A single mother of five came to Eagles Hope from treatment without custody of her children. While living there, she regained custody, got a car and a job, and eventually moved into her own place with her kids.
Emilio Medina is one of the current residents. He moved to Riverton from Rawlins last October to be near his sister and brother-in-law, but when the living situation stopped working, he found himself sleeping in his van. Eventually, his mom found Eagles Hope online and told him to check it out.
“The second I came through the door and met Shannon and Devin, we just clicked right away,” Medina said. “The process to move in was pretty easy.”
Medina, who is approaching 600 days sober, works at a restaurant in town, and the Andersons have helped connect him with extra side work through people they know in the community. He is saving money on cheap rent and rebuilding after losing his home, his vehicle, and time with his kids. His goal is to transition into his own place so his children can come stay with him, and he is considering the welding program at Central Wyoming College.
“Being here is giving me the chance to just rebuild everything,” Medina said. “I’m just blessed to have a roof over my head for now, and I’m not living in the car anymore.”
He said the residents look out for one another. “Everybody’s just cool with each other. We all help each other out.”
Medina thinks about what would have happened without Eagles Hope, and so does his mother. “She’s always telling me, thank God for Eagles Hope,” he said. “If it weren’t for them, who knows where I would be.”