Women's Recovery Home Opens in Historic 1896 Middletown Building
Wings of Hope Recovery converts a 130-year-old building into a certified sober living home for 25 women.
Last updatedFebruary 28, 2026
Wings of Hope Recovery House
The News
Wings of Hope Recovery has opened Ella's House, a women's recovery home in a historic 1896 building in Middletown. The certified sober living facility provides structured housing for 25 women recovering from substance use disorders, according to NBC Connecticut.
The nonprofit purchased the property in October 2025 and converted it into a fully furnished residence with an on-site office for employment readiness and telehealth resources for medical and mental health support. The home is named in honor of Chief of Operations Elizabeth Protzman's mother and Director Robert Pace's daughter, both of whom have personal connections to addiction and recovery.
Ella's House is part of Wings of Hope's growing network, which now serves more than 100 men and women across Middlesex County and Hartford County, according to the organization's website.
Personal Loss Drives the Middletown Mission
Protzman lost her father in July 2024 to alcohol-related causes. She has said the experience deepened her commitment to building recovery housing that treats residents with dignity.
The organization's philosophy centers on a core belief: that anyone committed to long-term recovery deserves a stable, supportive place to live. "Anyone who has a higher calling to long-term recovery and wants to change their life around deserves to have a nice place to live," the organization states on its website.
Pace, who serves as director, shares a similar personal drive. His daughter's connection to the recovery community helped shape the organization's focus on environments designed to support lasting sobriety.
Together, Protzman and Pace have built Wings of Hope into a multi-site operation with both men's and women's facilities. Ella's House is the organization's newest location and its first dedicated to women in the Middletown area.
How Ella's House Works
Residents at Ella's House follow a structured program designed to bridge the gap between clinical addiction treatment and full independence. The facility requires residents to maintain weekly bed fee payments, follow curfew and house guidelines, and attend peer support meetings.
The home provides more than housing. An on-site employment readiness office helps residents prepare for the workforce, while telehealth services offer access to ongoing medical and mental health care without requiring travel to outside facilities. The structured approach is intended to give women the daily accountability and peer connection that research has shown supports long-term recovery.
Wings of Hope holds certifications from the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences and is approved by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The organization is also listed on the state's 211 Connecticut resource directory, which connects residents to local health and social services.
Recovery Housing Expands Across Middletown and Connecticut
Ella's House joins a growing number of certified recovery residences across the state. Connecticut has expanded its sober living options in recent years as state and local agencies work to address substance use disorders that continue to affect communities statewide.
Gender-specific recovery housing like Ella's House is considered particularly important for women, who may face barriers to treatment that include childcare responsibilities, histories of trauma, and economic instability. Structured sober living homes offer a step between clinical treatment and full independence, providing peer accountability and daily structure during a critical stage of recovery.
Wings of Hope operates facilities in Middletown and the surrounding region, with services extending into Hartford County as well. Residents or family members seeking information about the program can contact Wings of Hope at (860) 222-2768, by email at Admissions@WingsOfHopeRecovery.com, or through the organization's website at wingsofhoperecovery.com.
