Opening a Sober Living Home
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anonymous Asks ...
I want to open a sober house in Philadelphia. I am not a guy that is trying to capitalize on others misfortune and just doing this for the money like I know a lot of people that start sober homes are I am a recovering alcoholic with 4 years of sobriety that wants to give back. I am in the process of inheriting my mothers 5 room house and this is why I am in a position to do this. What do I need to do to do this? Are there any special licenses I need? Since I am going to charge a very low or reasonable price I think I can fill the rooms pretty easily.
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Anna Deeds Says ...
Thank you for your question. There currently isn't a license you need to open a sober living or recovery home in Pennsylvania. However, I did some research and found an article stating they are starting a certification process. According to the article, the certification won't be mandatory but you wouldn't be able to get any funding without certification. You can find the article here. I do think it is needed and should be mandatory. It's not that I think people should be limited from starting sober living homes but many of them aren't structured as they should be. As a person in recovery, I'm sure you recognize the need for structure in a sober living home.
In order to make your sober living home structured, I would create a business plan. It doesn't have to be a complicated or long plan but write down some goals for what you want the house to be like. Whenever you start a business, you need to have an plan for how the business will be managed. Consider what the rules of the house will be and what budget you have to start it. Check local zoning laws where the house is and network with people in the community to spread word about your house.
I hope this helps get you started and good luck with starting the house!
