Family and friends of people in recovery often don’t realize the cost of housing and aftercare for a person once they have finished their stay in residential drug treatment. Yet, 30 days or 60 days in residential treatment is hard for some people. They feel they need more help. Sober living is usually a good way to continue sobriety in a structured environment.

A sober home is just that: a place for a person in recovery to lay their head at night that’s safe. Many people new to recovery aren’t stable enough to go home or start a new life, and that’s okay. (Or it should be!) If you known somebody in recovery coming home from treatment, it’s a good idea to look to transition through living at a sober home for a month or two. Sober living can give a person with a substance use disorder more time to find a job or decide your next steps in recovery.

Structure and safety are some of the many benefits that sober homes offer. There are safeguards in place for people who genuinely want to remain sober, including drug or alcohol testing. But at $150 to $200 a week, many people who need the structure of a sober living home can’t afford it.

Helping Pay for Sober Living

Bubba’s Home, a nonprofit in New Hampshire, however, is helping people new to sobriety take advantage of sober living by paying rent for the person to get back on their feet. Anyone in recovery can apply for the funds that cover two to four weeks of stay in a sober living environment.

Bubba’s home wants to help both the recovered addict, and their family make the adjustments they need to achieve long-term sobriety. The nonprofit helps by being a neutral third party that helps people with their transition from rehab to a sober home.

Preventing Scams and Fraud

Bubba’s Home also has safeguards in place to make sure that the recovery homes are legitimate. There are a lot of scammers who take the rent and leave residents to fend for themselves. Fraud in California and Florida has been particularly rampant because no laws were governing sober home businesses.

In Massachusetts, there is a certification system for sober homes that has specific requirements. When handing out a grant to people for sober living, members of Bubba’s Home due their due diligence to make sure that the home has the proper certifications. They also make sure that the house has rules such as drug testing and 12-step meeting attendance.

“Them giving that gift — a couple weeks in sober living — what they are really giving them is a chance, a chance at getting a job and getting back on their feet to pay rent and other bills,” Eric Spofford, CEO of Granite Recovery Centers, told the Eagle Tribune. “It provides a bridge to sobriety that might otherwise lead to failure.”