1. What is a Sober Home
A sober home offers a drug free and alcohol free
environment and provides a positive community for
peer group recovery support. Sober living homes
promote individual recovery by creating an
environment that will allow the residents to become
self-supporting and develop individual recovery
programs. Quality assurance is obtained and
maintained through membership in sober living
networks or coalition. The members should be able to
meet excellent standards in safety, health and
management guidelines. These homes promote and
maintain drug and alcohol free environments with
recovery support activities designed for the residents.
Typical sober living homes are a single family residence, multiunit complex or duplex that is
situated in a peaceful residential neighborhood. Each resident is required to adhere to a set of
house rules. In case of violation, residents may be ejected from the home. The most common
rule in a transitional living community is zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs. This will include
normal daily medicine cabinet items such as cold medicines, after-shave, mouthwash and food
items like vanilla. Many sober living homes conduct a surprise or random testing on drug and
alcohol. The other zero tolerance rules in the house include threats of violence, violence,
harassment, fighting, theft, curfew violation, sex and unexcused absences.
The residents are required to be self-supporting, buying their own food and paying their own
rent. They are also required to seek employment, work or enroll in an academic school for
students. All the residents are required to participate in several 12-step meetings every week.
Living is shared in a sober living house. Depending on the size of the unit or home, the
occupancy may range from six to thirty residents per unit or home. The residents will share one
bedroom with at least one resident. Some rooms can accommodate up to ten persons. Many
sober homes in the country are gender specific but there are some that are co-ed. The residents
are expected to perform their daily assigned chore in the house. These homes promote
cleanliness.