The newly established Freedom House on Love Street has stirred controversy in the neighborhood, and Paul Maynard took Tuesday night’s meeting of the Macon County Commissioners as an opportunity to defend the recovery program.
Freedom House is an extension of the addiction recovery ministry at House of Hope Church of God, where men interested in fighting substance use can stay and follow the church’s program.
Maynard, a representative of the church, felt that it was important to clear the air with the commissioners about exactly what they were doing. Some residents of the neighborhood have complained about Freedom House, concerned about the people it may bring to the neighborhood.
Joyce Handley, a resident of the neighborhood, addressed the Franklin Town Council on Monday night about the dilapidated state of the house and her concern for the wellbeing of the people who stay there and live nearby.
“We’ve had nothing but drugs and violence in that house for at least 15 years,” Handley said. “The neighbors are unsettled because of the conditions they’ve had to put up with. They finally thought they were having their homes safe, and now they aren’t sure.”
The town council was sympathetic to Handley’s concerns but said their options to address them were limited. The town’s planning department will be inspecting the house to guarantee that it’s suitable for larger residency, but there’s nothing they can do about the services themselves because none of them requires a license.
Town attorney John Henning Jr. also said that the house was properly zoned for the activities the church had in mind.
“There are certain types of facilities like these that you cannot zone out of residential areas,” Henning said. “We don’t have anything in the UDO right now that makes that a disallowed use for this property.”
Maynard assured county commissioners that Freedom House is a necessary asset to the Franklin community. As a recovered addict himself, Maynard said he is acutely aware of a need for recovery services in the town that is currently being underserved. While his church does its best to provide counseling and fellowship to these vulnerable men, he said that providing those services to men who live risky situations is an uphill battle.
“The problem is that when they leave our meetings, they have to go back to the same place they were before,” Maynard said. “I believe that if we see a need, we should meet that need. We’re meeting a need.”
Freedom House currently has five residents who are actively engaged in recovery, which includes regular drug testing, money management classes, a curfew and constant staff supervision.
Assuming everything goes well with Freedom House, Maynard envisions expanding the ministry to open houses for women and families. He feels that the further the ministry can go, the better off the community will be.
“I think that if this is done correctly with the help of the community, I feel like there are going to be less people going to jail,” Maynard said. “There’s going to be less people losing their kids to DSS. There’s going to be law-abiding citizens who are actually putting money into our community by maintaining a job.”
For more information on Freedom House and addiction recovery services at House of Hope Church of God, visit the church at 1111 Tessentee Road or call 828-524-5361.
June 8, 2026
