Proposed operational plan · Revised September 27, 2026

90-day pilot: learning period outline

1. Purpose of the pilot

Before a larger residence, Phoenix may explore a short 90-day operational learning period using a written block of up to four rooms in existing lodging. The goal is to test safe daily operations, documentation, referrals, and budgeting — not to prove long-term effectiveness or to require automatic discharge at day 90.

Where residents consent, Phoenix may seek voluntary follow-up contact at about 6 and 12 months after exit. That follow-up is optional and is not a condition of stay.

Related research on recovery housing (different model): an Oxford House randomized trial (150 participants, 24 months) studied self-governed recovery homes and is not validation of a four-room lodging pilot. See PMC1586125. Phoenix does not claim those outcomes.

2. How the pilot would be structured

• Small pilot first: up to four rooms under a written block (the property owner designates rooms).
• Later residence: planning ceiling up to 12 residents; rooms are not approved headcount — the selected property and authorities control capacity.
• Payer: Phoenix Foundations pays lodging from the organization account when Phoenix is the tenant.
• Proposed fee: $400 per resident per month when Phoenix pays for the room (housing, meals, and agreed utilities as provided) — an affordability goal subject to funded subsidy and professional/board review, not a guaranteed final rate.
• Both stages depend on site approvals and funding. Neither is open.

3. Coverage and emergencies (proposed — staffing not claimed)

Public operations cannot rely on a single person alone. Before admissions, Phoenix must show a written coverage plan with named roles (primary contact, backup/on-call, escalation), including nights and weekends as applicable. Detailed employment-conflict and hours controls stay in internal board/counsel files — not in public fundraising copy.

• Urgent emergencies (fire, medical emergency, suspected overdose, violence): call 911 first; provide first aid / CPR / naloxone only within training and dispatcher direction; remain only when safe and follow evacuation and dispatcher directions. The written emergency plan must be reviewed before opening.
• Trained response: who is authorized to respond on site; where naloxone and emergency sheets are kept; how incidents are logged.
• Backup escalation: alternate contact if the primary operator is unavailable.
• Continuity: how residents reach help and how the organization maintains lawful, safe continuity if the primary operator cannot be present.

These items are opening requirements, including independent oversight and conflicts review before any pilot admissions — not only after a pilot. This document does not claim that paid staff, backups, insurance, or oversight already exist.

4. Illustrative costs and revenue (not a full budget)

Earlier “rent-only” sketches understated food and omitted other costs. The scenario below is a partial illustration for four adults over three months. It is not “often” a real-world total and is not a local quote.

Food benchmark (USDA)

USDA August 2026 Low-Cost Food Plan for adults ages 20–50: about $275.70/month (female) and $317.20/month (male) for all meals and snacks prepared at home.

Source: USDA CNPP Cost of Food monthly reports (August 2026 Low-Cost Plan; source page updated September 24, 2026). This is a national benchmark, not a Wilkes County market survey, not adjusted here for household-size economies, and not an exact participant mix.

Illustrative four-adult food for three months (shared 4-person household assumption / no extra household-size uplift in the endpoints below): $3,308.40–$3,806.40. USDA household-size note: a shared 4-person food household generally needs no extra household-size adjustment under USDA tables; four independent single-person food households may each need about +20%. Do not assume communal savings without a written kitchen and meal plan. Limited cooking facilities may raise costs. Donated food only offsets cost when supply is documented and reliable. Resident benefits (SNAP, etc.) are not assumed or controlled by Phoenix.

Partial cost scenario (example assumptions)

Still not included: staffing/relief coverage, deposits, transport, laundry/supplies, administration, compliance, reserves, and other site-specific costs. A full opening budget and stress test require actual site, insurance, and staffing quotes.

Therefore, rent-only “go / no-go” language is misleading. Viability depends on committed subsidy and cash flow for the whole period, not rent matching fees alone.

5. Revenue illustrations (not forecasts)

Do not treat speculative grants, an unsigned $600 bed contract, Medicaid, or unpaid volunteer labor as guaranteed revenue. Clinical services and payer billing, if any, remain qualified external/provider-specific work — never presumed housing revenue.

6. Proposed readiness checkpoints (pending evidence)

These are requirements to evidence before any pilot admissions — not achievements, and not deferred until after a pilot.

During the learning period

• Day 7: safety and needs check; voluntary goals conversation
• Day 30: budget vs actual; coverage; resident feedback
• Day 60: course correction
• Day 90: board decision to continue, redesign, or pause

Unresolved safety issues or cash shortfalls should pause new admissions while maintaining safe, lawful continuity for current residents — not abrupt displacement.

7. Later facility (contingent — not approved)

A larger residence (planning ceiling up to 12) is a contingent plan, not a final approved facility. Before purchase/lease commitment or expansion: site due diligence and independent approval; capital/operating budgets based on quotes; permits/licensing determination; insurance and staffing; sustainable downside funding; pilot lessons and resident feedback; exit/relocation contingency.

No automatic expansion at 90 days or when eight residents pay. Employment may be one voluntary individualized goal alongside education, benefits access, health, and stable housing — Phoenix does not promise jobs or penalize disability.

8. What to measure (proposed for board adoption before opening)

• Occupancy and collections (with denominators)
• Unrestricted cash / runway
• Coverage gaps, incidents, and resolution
• Resident-reported safety and goals
• Successful connections to outside services
• Destination at exit (including unknowns)
• Voluntary 6/12-month follow-up where consented

With only four people, report counts carefully and suppress identifying public detail. No “100% success” marketing and no compelled stories or photos. Board reviews definitions and targets before opening. These measures are recommendations until adopted.

9. How to help

“Help build a safe, accountable path to stable housing.”

• Explore board service
• Discuss funding (not tax-deductible until verified authority)
• Share property leads
• Partner or volunteer interest
• If you are exploring future housing: learn about our proposed program and current development status — not intake or clinical data; Phoenix is not accepting applications

Formal operating policies and resident agreements remain drafts pending board and professional review. This outline proposes operational planning detail; it does not silently amend those drafts.

Daniel Brown, Founder · info@phoenixfoundationsnc.org · (336) 559-9569 · https://phoenixfoundationsnc.org