Sober Living FAQs

What is a Sober Living Home?

Sober living homes, sometimes referred to as transitional living arrangements, halfway houses, or recovery residences, can be a step down from formal substance use treatment programs. These homes can offer an in-between option for individuals after they complete a treatment program and before they return to their homes and lives. This transition can provide continued support while residents learn to apply their newly learned self-reliant skills to real-life situations while they remain drug- or alcohol-free in a community environment.

Who Lives in Sober Living Homes?

Anyone who feels they need more time to solidify habits and coping mechanisms before they return to everyday life should consider a sober living home. Typically, sober homes do not restrict those who apply to live there and most have completed a drug rehab program prior to moving in. Sober living homes are populated with groups of people who are in recovery and striving to maintain abstinence. They provide a peer-support network of individuals with similar experiences and goals. Social support plays a crucial role in facilitating positive treatment outcomes. Another benefit of sober living homes is that they allow residents to build meaningful relationships with other sober residents. Residents will live alongside other individuals who are also in recovery and committed to lifelong sobriety. Through support groups or just living amongst one another, residents will feel empowered by one another to become the best version of themselves that they can be while prioritizing their sobriety. As loneliness is a risk factor that increases an individual’s risk of relapse, sober living homes challenge isolation. These homes will help residents realize that they are never alone in what they are experiencing.

What is the Difference Between a Sober Living Home and a Halfway House?

Sober living homes provide a safe, substance-free environment with recovery-focused programming to reinforce long-term maintenance of sobriety. Residents are generally allowed to stay as long as needed. Conversely, halfway houses are typically government funded and only allow clients to stay for a specified amount of time.

Does Sober Living Have Rules?

Although “Sober Living” refers specifically to housing arrangements, the nature of a sober living facility setup brings various therapeutic benefits. All sober living houses have mandatory rules that provide important structure and accountability their residents. While in a sober living home, residents must:

• Abstain completely from drugs and/or alcohol

• Abide by all curfews

• Respect fellow residents and staff

• Keep all personal and public areas clean

• Maintain personal hygiene

• Submit to periodic drug testing

• Participate regularly in Sobriety Meetings

• Share in all household chores (cooking, cleaning etc.)

• Find a job to learn valuable life skills and manage finances

• Pay rent on a weekly basis

These rules give stability to the residents, and teach them responsibility, teamwork, and independence – all valuable life skills which they will fall back upon once leading their own lives.

Rules aside, living in a communal housing arrangement naturally helps clients develop tolerance, problem solving skills, and the ability to live with and contribute to a greater whole. For those looking for a warm, safe environment while beginning to venture out into the world, sober living communities are a great option.

Gender-Specific Sober Living Homes

Some sober living facilities provide substance-free transitional housing for only men or only women, meaning men live with men and women live with women. Recovering from addiction is a vulnerable process. When individuals are surrounded by others just like them, who are facing the same challenges and have similar recovery goals, it can make aspects of recovery easier since individuals who are more alike than not relate to one another, share similar experiences, and ways of perceiving the world.