If you’re searching for a sober house in Delray Beach or anywhere in Palm Beach County, you won’t be short of options. That’s the good news and the problem. This guide is for men and families trying to sort through them, written by a men’s sober living operator about 35 miles down I-95.
Why Delray Beach has so many sober homes
Delray Beach has long had a large recovery community: meetings at all hours, treatment programs, and a lot of people in recovery living and working there. Unfortunately it also became known for the opposite. In 2017, NPR reported that a city-commissioned study had found at least 250 sober homes in a town of about 60,000 people, with many overdose calls tied to sober homes. Palm Beach County’s State Attorney convened a task force, Florida increased penalties for patient brokering and deceptive marketing, and Delray Beach adopted rules requiring sober homes to be certified.
A lot has changed since then. But the lesson for anyone choosing a house today still holds: the number of houses tells you nothing about the quality of any one of them. You have to check.
How to tell a good sober house from a bad one
- Certification. Ask whether the house is certified by the Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR), and look it up. Licensed treatment providers in Florida generally may only refer to certified residences managed by a certified administrator. See what FARR certification means.
- No strings attached to treatment. Walk away from any house that offers free rent, gifts or travel in exchange for attending a specific program. In Florida, that can be patient brokering, which is a crime.
- Rules that are enforced. Randomized testing, a real curfew, meetings, chores and house meetings, applied to everyone.
- A clear relapse policy that puts safety first.
- Honest answers on the first call, including “you need detox first” when that’s the truth.
- A tour, including the bedrooms, and a conversation with a resident.
Our touring checklist works for any house in South Florida.
Questions to ask a Delray Beach or Palm Beach County sober home
- Are you FARR-certified? Who is your certified administrator?
- How many men live here, and how many share a room and a bathroom?
- How often do you test, and what happens after a positive test?
- What is the curfew, and what are the meeting requirements?
- What does rent include? Is there a deposit? What is the refund policy?
- Do you require me to attend a particular treatment program?
- Do you have any financial relationship with treatment providers?
- Can I talk to a current resident without staff in the room?
When it makes sense to look a little south
Plenty of men do well staying in their home area. Others need a change of scenery. If your drinking or using was rooted in Palm Beach County (the same bars, the same people, the same phone numbers), a house a county or two away can make it easier to start fresh while staying close enough for family to visit.
That’s where Hollywood and North Miami Beach come in. Hollywood is about 35 miles south of Delray Beach, roughly 40–45 minutes by car on an average day. Without a car, Tri-Rail runs from the Delray Beach station south to Hollywood and on to the Golden Glades station near North Miami Beach. Your family can visit for a Sunday afternoon and still be home for dinner.
We cover the general idea in moving to Hollywood for recovery, and our Broward guides include Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach and Broward County.
The two Foundry houses
The Foundry runs two FARR-certified men’s sober living homes. Both run the same program: no alcohol or drugs, randomized testing, a nightly curfew, required 12-step meetings and a sponsor, rotating chores and house meetings, and work, school or an outpatient program once you’ve settled in.
- Foundry: Beachhouse, 701 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood: directly on the Intracoastal, with a rooftop terrace, pool, billiards room and kayaks, minutes from Hollywood Beach. US-1, I-95 and Tri-Rail access.
- Foundry: Lakehouse, 871 NE 182nd Terrace, North Miami Beach: a quiet lakeside home with eight bedrooms, near Aventura, with transit, Publix and shopping close by.
If you’re in Palm Beach County now and want to talk it through, call (954) 817-7143. If we think a house near you is the better fit, we’ll say so.
Questions people ask
Why are there so many sober homes in Delray Beach?
Delray Beach has a large recovery community and many treatment programs. In 2017, NPR reported that a city-commissioned study found at least 250 sober homes in a town of about 60,000, which led to new local rules and stronger state laws against patient brokering.
How do I find a good sober house in Palm Beach County?
Check FARR certification, make sure the house doesn't tie your bed to a particular treatment program, ask about testing, curfew and relapse policy, and tour the house and talk to a resident.
How far is Hollywood, FL from Delray Beach?
About 35 miles by car, roughly 40 to 45 minutes on an average day. Tri-Rail also connects the Delray Beach station with Hollywood and Golden Glades.
