Can I Work While Living at a Sober House?

It is usually expected of sober house residents to have a job while living at the facility in order to pay rent. In addition, though, many of the rules associated with sober living facilities encourage residents to have a job or to find work that is conducive to their recovery.

Low-income Housing in Sober Homes

According to a study on sober houses from the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, “Low income groups, particularly those who have a history of homelessness, are often at the highest risk to relapse because they have few housing options that support recovery from addiction.” Fortunately, sober homes are built mostly for these types of individuals who are in need of affordable, safe lodging that is conducive to sobriety.

These facilities are built to ensure that individuals who do have some sort of income but not enough to pay for the kind of room they need in a drug- and alcohol-free environment can still have access to safe and affordable sober housing. In some cases, rent is covered to an extent by “General Assistance or Social Security Income, so a variety of low-income residents [can] be accommodated” (JPD). In this way, the individual is able to use some of their income to pay for rent and still have some left over to be able to buy groceries, pay for other expenses, etc., all while being able to afford substance abuse-free lodging.

Working and Living in a Sober Home

Sober homes encourage residents to keep and seek employment in order to pay rent and to establish a sense of responsibility.

These low rent prices and different types of assistance do not mean, however, that individuals who stay at these facilities are not expected to work. On the contrary, most sober homes have a strict policy that helps residents find work if they do not already have it and accommodates those who do. Because having a basic income is helpful to one’s overall recovery and life in general, many sober homes will help residents by creating programs with local businesses where residents can work close to their new home.

In addition, those who run sober homes also expect residents to come and go from the facilities most days, either looking for work or going to it, and residents are usually only expected back by a certain curfew time. Working toward a better situation and making money is helpful to a person’s overall recovery, and sober living homes encourage this, ensuring that all their residents have access to an occupation.

Your Home Away from Home

In many ways, sober homes are the perfect transition between residential care and living on your own again: you have the freedom to participate in your day to day tasks, one of which is going to work, but you still have a safety net with specific rules that allow you to monitor yourself for any possible problems. Like most people who live in sober homes, though, you will likely need to have some sort of job. However, even a low-income occupation will be helpful to your living situation.

If you would like to find out more about sober living facilities or find one in your area, get help today at 800-953-3913 (Who Answers?).

Year 1 of Living a Sober Life: How Sober Living Works