Are you planning to get into the sober living homes business?
Do you want to open a sober living home? Are you searching for a proper plan and requirements for a sober living home? If yes, then you have reached the right place.
This article will help you out in finding out how you can start a sober living home. So, stay in touch with us until the end.
Sober living homes are supportive environments designed for individuals who want to skip using drugs and alcohol. These places are ideal for the rehab process for people who are habitual of alcohol and using drugs.
The number of alcohol drinkers in America is increasing day by day. The demand for sober-living homes will also increase in the upcoming times. So, it is the right time to get into this business and conduct proper research before getting into this business. Otherwise, you will spoil your money as well as your time. That’s where this article will help you. You will get an insight into everything you need to know regarding starting a sober living home.
Conduct Market Research
The first and foremost thing to do when planning to start a sober-living home is to conduct proper market research. Get in touch with local groups and associations that deal with drug and substance abuse programs in your community.
- Things needed to be figured out include:
- The number of beds you can offer at the start.
- Estimated Cost per bed
- Insurance costs
- Municipal Codes
Also, investigate how you will get your funding. Check out if your state or city government provides grants or loans for this purpose.
Look out for the Governmental Requirements
Every state and government has different requirements for starting a sober living home. You will be asked to get specific licenses and permits.
In particular, if we talk about California, the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs require that you should get a license if you are offering non-medical services to recover, such as:
- Group therapy
- Personal therapy
- Detox for physical withdrawal from alcohol and drugs
- Workshops on substance-abuse related issues
- Treatment planning for recovery
Rules are different for different states. For example, most states won’t require any additional licensing if you are offering rooms and making sure that the tenants will not consume alcohol or other similar drugs.
Generally, cooperative living or translational housing does not require special permits or licensing, especially if they don’t offer in-house recovery.
However, you still face issues. For example, a neighbor may register a complaint against you because he might face increased traffic, more noise, and other such problems related to sober living homes.
The profitability of Sober Homes
When starting any business, the most crucial factor that needs to be considered is profitability. However, when it comes to offering service to the community, profitability should not be your only motive.
Instead, many sober-living homes operate as non-profit organizations rather than being profitable. They receive donations from the community to finance their programs and run their operations.
However, you have to calculate all costs that you have to bear at the start, including:
- Utilities
- Furniture costs
- Staff wages
- Internet service
- Cable television
- Groceries
- Household supplies
- Rent and mortgage payments
Once you have calculated these costs, you can now apply simple math to calculate how much you should be charging for each person for the room and board. Startup costs are usually spread over the first two years.
The charges depend on the services you will be offering. If you are offering basic room and board, you won’t be charging much. In that case, finding people to fill beds could be a problem for you, especially if there is a low-cost housing already available in your community.
Contrarily, if you offer enhanced services such as counseling, quality rooms, exceptional meals, and other such, you can charge more amount.
Final Words
Starting a sober living home is a good idea, but it does involve plenty of risks. Before getting into the sober living business, you have to devise a proper plan to succeed in your plan. We hope this writing was helpful for you in getting into the sober living business. If you have any queries, ask us in the comments section below.
