Down a long hallway, 12 doors lead to rooms bathed in a pale blue with cozy beds draped in gray comforters. Each room is finished with a bedside table and wardrobe to create an inviting atmosphere with a subtle, calming palette.

These rooms will become home to individuals with severe mental illness, offering a peaceful environment where they can receive the support they need.

Sarah Gagnon, vice president of clinical operations at Riverbend Community Mental Health, said this type of adult housing for adults is exactly what the state needs to provide for individuals requiring intensive mental health care.

“To me, this is really the stopgap before any type of assisted living or any type of nursing home,” Gagnon said as she walked through the building with its white-painted brick facade and bright blue shutters that mirror Riverbend’s colors. “So we would expect people to be here for a long period of time. This is not designed to be a transitional housing.”

The new 12-bed housing facility is thoughtfully designed with accessibility at its core. All bedrooms are located on the ground floor, ensuring easy access for residents with mobility challenges. Some rooms are extra spacious to accommodate wheelchairs and crutches, and the bathrooms are also fully accessible.

When it opens by the end of the year at 278 Pleasant St., the first residents will be individuals from Riverbend’s other facilities with specific mobility needs.

“They already have good relationships. They’ve lived together so some of those staff will also be moving here to work as well,” said Gagnon of the residents that will be shifted. “So it just feels like good continuity.”

For residents with mental illness, the facility offers a welcoming space to experience a sense of community, with a living area featuring comfortable couches and a fireplace. On sunny days, residents can step outside to relax at picnic tables beneath the shade of trees, enjoying the fresh air and freedom rather than feeling confined to their rooms.

There is also an on-site laundry unit.

Housing in New Hampshire is a significant challenge, with a shortage of available homes to meet demand. This issue is even more pronounced for residents with mental health conditions.

At New Hampshire Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric facility in Concord, an average of at least 70 patients are ready for discharge but often face delays of days or even weeks due to a lack of supportive housing options. These delays occupy beds needed for patients experiencing acute psychiatric crises, straining the facility’s resources and limiting access to timely care.

This housing facility helps with the state’s Mission Zero, a plan to end the practice of boarding patients with mental health illnesses in hospital emergency rooms until a treatment bed becomes available.

Lisa Madden, president and chief executive officer of Riverbend, explained that in response to the housing shortage, Riverbend decided to repurpose the former administrative office building. Originally, this building served as a residential facility, and now it has been restored to fulfill that role once again.

“The more people we can help discharge from New Hampshire Hospital the sooner patients can be admitted from the emergency departments,” said Madden. “We are pleased to be part of the solution on the boarding issue and the Mission Zero steering committee.”

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com