If rules continue to be broken, they may be booted from the sober living home. However, most residents stay 6-9 months before leaving for full independence. Attendance is required for all house meetings and support group meetings.

While residents aren’t required to have completed a rehab program before entry, many of them have. The tools that individuals learn in intensive rehab programs may set them up for more sustainable success in a sober living house. Something important to note is that sober living houses are not the same as halfway houses. While they are both residences designed to support folks in maintaining sobriety and transitioning back into society, there are some key differences. These are residential facilities that provide structure and support for those healing from addiction.

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Recovery programs filled the gap by initiating abstinence and including detoxification. While some may be hungry to integrate back into society after a stint in a treatment program, there is an expectation that you will remain an active participant in the home and follow its rules. Some sober living houses may be placed in neighborhoods with high crime rates.

Since our founding in 1961, Harris House has grown to become a top-rated non-profit treatment center. Many people use the terms sober house and halfway house interchangeably. Here’s a closer look at these two different resources for people in addiction recovery.

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Typically, there are rules about shared living spaces and individual room maintenance and chores, visitor hours, meal times, curfews and Twelve Step meeting requirements. Residents are often required to take drug tests and demonstrate efforts toward long-term recovery. After completing inpatient treatment programs became popular, halfway houses were developed to meet the needs of individuals who weren’t prepared to immediately enter the workforce. These facilities provided transitional living arrangements for recent rehab graduates who needed additional support before the beginning of their normal lives. For many people in recovery, sober living homes offer a much-needed sense of community and support. They provide a safe and structured environment that can help residents stay sober and rebuild their lives after addiction.

By the 1970s, Oxford Houses became a successful model for a sober living house. These homes, rather than being run by one landlord, were communally run on a democratic sober house basis. Instead of mandating 12-step meeting attendance, Oxford Houses’ only requirement was sobriety, though most residents were involved in 12-step programs.

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Going to rehab will get you out of an often-dark isolated place so you can detox in a safe place and start your recovery journey, following a programme that is designed to help you manage your addiction. A sober living home is a safe, substance-free residency for people in recovery. Many people benefit from residing in a sober living house after completing treatment, but you don’t have to make this decision alone. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals.

The structure and support that are provided by sober housing help people who are new to recovery keep sobriety as their top priority. Sober houses are homes for those in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. Most residents of recovery houses have completed a treatment program, but not necessarily. Residents in sober living homes live as a family unit, follow house rules, and pay rent to the sober house operator. Most importantly, residents must stay clean and sober while the live in the home.