What is a "Sober House?"

[sheclown]

A sober house is a group of people (male, female or male & female) who choose to live a sober life in a supportive environment.  They share in the expenses of running and maintaining a home.  They agree to abide by certain unique rules such as curfew, participating in AA, chores, being accountable to each other for their sobriety.

Because this group is a protected class of people according to ADA standards, they are protected under the Fair Housing Act and can live in a single family dwelling as a single family unit.  This has been decided by the Supreme Court.

Often, Sober Houses have requested "reasonable accommodations" to allow more than the five unrelated such as the case with Oxford House. 

Sober Houses are important to maintain a sober life.

Sober Houses exist throughout the city.

The state makes available money to help set up sober houses, although I don't know the details and have never received any money for doing so.  I just learned this a couple of days ago.

[gatorback]

Thank you for that info. Does monies from like the United Way go to support such initiatives?

[sheclown]

Sober Houses do not provide treatment, on-site counseling, medical treatment, anything of that sort.  Sober Houses are also nation-wide.

I would suggest that Jacksonville develop a policy on Sober Houses, enlist the aid of lawyers and other folks who are familiar with these type of places, and get organized to deal with it.  

& for the record...they are not keen money-makers -- it is by far more profitable to rent Section 8.  

[sheclown]

No Sober Houses are (usually) totally self-supporting.

As far as the start-up money from the state, I don't know where that money comes from.

[CityLife]

Sober Houses exist throughout the city.

Got any info on where else they are in the city and how many?

[CityLife]

Sober Houses exist throughout the city.

Got any info on where else they are in the city and how many?

Do tell

[strider]

Sober Houses exist throughout the city.

Got any info on where else they are in the city and how many?

Do tell

Sorry, no addresses, but there are 2 or three up in the Northshore area, there are several around the Moncreif area, across the tracks in …whatever Phillip Randolf area is,  there are several more over around Monument and on the Southside (at least one is a larger apartment complex) and there are a bunch out at/ towards  the beach.  Ok, maybe not a bunch, but some.  Least we forget, some in Riverside and Avondale as well.  This is only what I have recently heard about and I hear there are more.  Perhaps Sheclown can tell you about it in more detail.  One issue is,  if the guys/ girls do not drive, the urban core is where it is at for them.  Any more walkable area, like Riverside,  works as well.

Considering that the state is funding the opening of new sober houses, I would guess there are many we haven’t heard about.  And no, we just found out about that program, so we did not partake.

[sheclown]

Given the reception sober houses get, it is for them to self-disclose, not for me (or you either Strider) to do.

[reednavy]

Sober house? I don't know, sure sounds boring w/o any wine, vodka, etc.

[sheclown]

boring, but safe.

[uptowngirl]

"One issue is,  if the guys/ girls do not drive, the urban core is where it is at for them.  Any more walkable area, like Riverside,  works as well"

Because this is where all the jobs are right? We have a ton of jobs right here in Springfield! The Northshore too! Randolph kinda makes sense, but still it is quite a hike to the shipyards. Most of the threads are around how dead the urban core is, so I am wonderign where all these walkable jobs are. I guess we ca get rid of the buses now, no need we will all just walk to these pletiful jobs in the core.

[buckethead]

BORING IS BEAUTIFUL, BABY!!!!


I doubt there will ever be much welcome for sober houses by those who have never been affected by alcoholism nor by our largely alcoholic society.

Ironically, drunken houses abound.

[uptowngirl]

I think in our own neighborhood sober houses and alcoholic halfway houses can be supported, if they have the same passion of restoring/renovating historic homes, and keeping the neighborhood clean. Case in point the one over on Hubbard does not seem to get harrassed all that much. But no one wants to support an over abundance of any type of rentals, halfway houses, or group homes in their neighborhood.

[strider]

"One issue is,  if the guys/ girls do not drive, the urban core is where it is at for them.  Any more walkable area, like Riverside,  works as well"

Because this is where all the jobs are right? We have a ton of jobs right here in Springfield! The Northshore too! Randolph kinda makes sense, but still it is quite a hike to the shipyards. Most of the threads are around how dead the urban core is, so I am wonderign where all these walkable jobs are. I guess we ca get rid of the buses now, no need we will all just walk to these pletiful jobs in the core.

While unless you consistant have to ride the buses you may not believe it, the system works much better to and from the urban core and so that is one reason the urban core works so well, the guys can get to the jobs when they need to. It is not about having jobs in the urban core, but being able to get to the jobs from where you live and do so when you have to be there. In fact, there is actually a difference in how far you have to walk to get the right bus from one side of Main to the other. Then, in many cases, they walk many, many blocks once they get off the bus to get to the actual job site.

Then, once home, walkability makes living here easier as you can walk to a grocery; to get cigs, to get milk, to get your hair cut...the very same things that many of you wish for in the community is what makes it desirable to them.

[strider]

I think in our own neighborhood sober houses and alcoholic halfway houses can be supported, if they have the same passion of restoring/renovating historic homes, and keeping the neighborhood clean. Case in point the one over on Hubbard does not seem to get harrassed all that much. But no one wants to support an over abundance of any type of rentals, halfway houses, or group homes in their neighborhood.

So, do you mean that if the actual neighbors of a sober house find it to be OK, problem free and that the guys (or girls) that live in the house are good neighbors, than they should be allowed to exist, even in Springfield?  That the only problem you see is that if they are bad or problem neighbors, which is the same issue one may find with any rental? And what do you feel would be an "over abundance'?