If you are reading this for someone you love — a son, a husband, a brother — you have probably already had more hard conversations this month than most people have in a year. You may have just watched him finish detox or a treatment program, and now someone has told you the next step is a sober living house in South Florida. You want to know whether that is a good idea, how to find a safe one, and what it will actually be like for him.
This guide is meant to be read slowly. We run two men’s sober living houses here, and we have tried to answer the questions families ask us most, without pressure.
What a sober living house is
A sober living house, also called a recovery residence, is a home where people in recovery live together under shared rules. There is no alcohol or drug use. There is a curfew, random testing, chores, house meetings and an expectation of work, school or an outpatient program during the day. The people living there support one another, and someone manages the house.
It is not a treatment center. Sober living houses do not provide detox, medical care or therapy. Many residents attend outpatient treatment elsewhere while they live in the house. If you are unsure which your loved one needs, our guide to treatment vs. sober living may help, and SAMHSA’s FindTreatment.gov lists licensed programs nationwide.
Why so many families choose South Florida
South Florida has one of the largest recovery communities in the country. That brings real advantages: meetings at almost every hour, sponsors with long sobriety, employers used to hiring people in recovery, and treatment programs nearby for anyone who needs outpatient care.
It also brings a responsibility to choose carefully, because the region has had its share of poorly run houses over the years. The good news is that Florida now has a clear way to separate the two, which we cover below.
Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach?
South Florida is three counties, and each has a different feel.
- Miami-Dade offers the deepest job market and a range of neighborhoods, from busy urban districts to quiet residential areas like North Miami Beach. It suits men who need to stay near work, family or court dates in Miami. Our local guide is North Miami Beach sober living.
- Broward — Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach — has one of the densest meeting schedules in the country and a large recovery community. See sober living in Broward County.
- Palm Beach County, especially Delray Beach and Boca Raton, is widely known for its recovery community and has many sober homes of its own.
There is no single right county. The better question is which environment your loved one can realistically live in during month one: somewhere quiet, or somewhere busy; close to home, or deliberately far from it.
How to know a house is safe
This is the question underneath every other one, so we will be direct.
Florida has a voluntary certification program for recovery residences, created under section 397.487 of the Florida Statutes. The Department of Children and Families names the Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR) as the credentialing entity. To be certified, a house must have written policies on drug testing, relapse and eviction, pass onsite and annual inspections, carry insurance, and have its owners and directors pass background screening. It must also be actively managed by a certified recovery residence administrator.
Certification is not a guarantee of anything, but it is a meaningful floor. A house may not advertise itself as certified unless it holds a current certificate, so it is fair to ask to see one. Our fuller explainer is Florida sober house regulations.
Questions families can ask on the phone
- Are you FARR-certified, and may I see the certificate?
- Who manages the house day to day, and how often are they there?
- How does drug testing work?
- What is expected of residents during the day?
- What happens if he relapses?
- What does the weekly or monthly rate include, and what is the refund policy?
- Can family visit, and when?
- How will you communicate with us?
On that last question, it helps to know that what a house can share about a specific adult resident usually depends on his consent. That protects him and every other man in the house. A good house will explain how it handles this and encourage residents to keep their families involved. More in our guide for families and helping him choose.
What the first weeks are usually like
The first week is mostly logistics: settling in, learning the house rules, finding meetings, getting a phone and ID sorted, starting the job search or an outpatient schedule. Many houses have an initial period where visits are limited, so the resident can find his feet. That can be hard for families. It is usually temporary and done for good reasons.
By the second and third weeks, a rhythm appears: work or a program during the day, meetings in the evening, dinner with the house, chores, curfew. Our article your first 30 days in sober living walks through it.
Length of stay
Most families are surprised by how long the experts suggest. Thirty days in a sober living house mostly covers settling in. Men tend to do better when they stay for months, often six or more, because what they are building — a routine, a job, a sponsor, a home group — takes time to become steady. At The Foundry, most residents stay between three and twelve months, and nobody is pushed out on a date.
Cost, insurance and scholarships
Sober living houses in South Florida are generally private pay. Health insurance covers clinical treatment, not housing, though outpatient care your loved one attends while living in a sober house may be billable. When comparing houses, ask what the rate includes — utilities, internet, testing, transportation, food arrangements — and get it in writing.
Some houses offer scholarships or reduced rates for people who cannot otherwise afford a safe place to live. The Foundry does, for qualified residents. See does insurance cover sober living? and sober living scholarships in Florida.
Warning signs to take seriously
- An offer of free rent, or to pay for travel, tied to a particular treatment program.
- Pressure to decide on the first call, or to change insurance.
- Vague answers about who runs the house, or about money.
- No written rules or relapse policy.
- Claims of certification without a certificate.
If something feels off, trust that feeling and keep looking. A good house will understand.
Close to home, or far away?
Families often ask whether it is better for their loved one to live near home or somewhere new. There is no universal answer, but a few questions help.
- Where are the old triggers? If the people and places tied to using are concentrated near home, some distance can help.
- Where is the support? If his strongest support — a sponsor, a clinician, a steady job — is near home, uprooting it has a cost.
- Is the move toward something? A new city works best when he is moving toward a program and a community, not just away from a problem.
- Practical ties. Court dates, probation, custody arrangements and medical care may make some distances unrealistic.
South Florida draws men from all over the state and the country for exactly these reasons. Our Florida service area page lists approximate drive times from 89 Florida cities, and moving to Hollywood for recovery covers the move itself.
Looking after yourself, too
Families often forget this part. Supporting someone in early recovery is exhausting, and it is easier with your own support. Many families find groups like Al-Anon helpful; you can search for meetings at al-anon.org. And if anyone in your family is in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.
About The Foundry
The Foundry runs two FARR-certified men’s sober living houses in South Florida: Foundry: Lakehouse in North Miami Beach, a quiet lakeside home near Aventura, and Foundry: Beachhouse on the Intracoastal in Hollywood, minutes from the beach. Both are run by people in recovery, with the same expectations at each.
You are welcome to call (954) 817-7143 just to ask questions. We will tell you honestly whether we think The Foundry is the right fit, including when it isn’t.
Visiting: directions to both houses
We encourage families to visit before deciding. Choose a house and a starting point for live directions, or request a tour.
