The Philadelphia-based nonprofit Safehouse is in negotiations to secure a building for the nation's first supervised injection site, reports WHYY.
A prominent developer whose son recently died of an overdose offered to lease Safehouse a facility for just $1 a year, according to former Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who is on the nonprofit's board.
Mr. Rendell shared the news March 21 at a conference in Washington, D.C. He did not identify the developer, who wishes to remain anonymous.
The deal has not been finalized, but Safehouse Vice President Ronda Goldfein told WHYY she is optimistic they will sign a lease soon.
The progress comes nearly two months after federal prosecutors in Philadelphia filed a civil lawsuit against Safehouse, seeking to block the nonprofit from opening its safe injection site. If the supervised injection site is deemed legal, Philadelphia would be the first city to open such a facility in the U.S.