How to Start a Sober Living House

In some instances, individuals dealing with addiction issues seek a "sober living house" to reside in following participation in a treatment or recovery program. You may have made the decision to organize and start a sober living house in your community. If that is the case, there are specific steps that you need to take to open the doors.

Instructions

• 1

  Locate a residential property in your community that is zoned appropriately for a sober living home. Typically zoning for single family residences will not allow for the presence of a sober living or other type of group home. You can determine how a property is zoned by contacting the zoning or planning commission in your community. These offices can be accessed through city hall or the county courthouse (or administration) buildings.

• 2

  Make a decision as to whether you want to lease or purchase property. By leasing you will minimize your upfront expenses. Electing to purchase provides more flexibility over how the property is utilized.

• 3

  Create a specific legal entity to own the sober living house. In most instances, the legal entity will be a nonprofit corporation. The secretary of state's office can provide you with standard form articles of incorporation for your use. Once completed, these forms are filed with the secretary of state for a nominal fee.

• 4

  Schedule a meeting with neighbors of the proposed sober living house to explain your plans and to obtain feedback from them. You will want to provide neighbors general information about establishing a residence for individuals who desire to maintain sobriety. Make certain that these neighbors understand that the residents will be held to strict standards of conduct. Ascertain what concerns or misconceptions the neighbors have and respond to these issues promptly.

• 5

  Develop a set of rules for residents of the sober living house. The primary rule is that a resident must maintain sobriety to be able to reside in the house. Another fundamental component of the rules is the guidelines on how a person living in the house is removed for violation of these rules or other misconduct. Rules will also set forth what specific responsibilities a resident has in regard to the operation and maintenance of the residence.

• 6

  Meet with the directors or administrators of different addiction and alcohol treatment programs in the community to advise them of your plans. The main purpose of these meetings is to develop a connection with the individuals for future referrals to the sober living house.

• 7

  Remodel the residence you select to be suitable for a sober living house. The fundamental step to take in this regard is to maximize the sleeping space available in the residence while maintaining as much individual privacy as possible.

• 8

  Market the sober living house to participants in recovery programs in the community in advance of opening the doors to the residence. Your marketing efforts can include the creation of a website. Also consider designing a brochure that can be distributed at treatment centers as well as at recovery and support programs in your community.