Although you’ll need a license to open an addiction treatment center in Massachusetts , if it’s just a sober living home you’ve got your eyes set on, you’re in luck: Massachusetts doesn’t require any licenses or certifications for “recovery residences!” Another perk? Massachusetts also has a strong history of funding behavioral health — at least more so than other states in the union. Agencies like MassHousing even award grants to sober living home operators from time to time to help with operation and startup costs.
Today, we’ll take a deep dive into everything you need to know about opening your sober living home in Massachusetts.
MASH is the local NARR affiliate in Massachusetts. You can apply to become certified through MASH online. It is a seven step application process. The application checklist and the MASH Certification Application are both great pieces of paperwork to review before you begin the process. Annual fees are somewhat steep and do not include the additional $50 inspection fee. For example, a sober living home with 13-20 beds costs $375 per year to remain in good standing with MASH. All applications require an inspection.
In 2016, state lawmakers in Massachusetts passed a law that makes it possible for sober living homes to seek state certification if they so choose.
Beware NIMBY resistance to sober living homes in Massachusetts. In Methuen, a husband-wife team was harassed by the city with several lengthy requests for code-related information and inspections. This is not usual in Massachusetts, where the broader community is skeptical about recovery housing.
You don’t have to get certified to open a sober living home in Massachusetts . However, there are benefits to doing so.
Since September 2016 , Massachusetts has required state agencies to only refer clients to “certified alcohol and drug free (ADF) housing.” In other words, if you want referral from state agencies - like state run treatment centers, hospitals, parole officers, social workers, etc - then you’ll need to get certified with the state and maintain that certification in good standing.
While the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) in Massachusetts is responsible for certifying all addiction treatment programs in the state, it does not certify sober living homes. Instead, Massachusetts contracts that work out to MASH.
MASH maintains a master list of all sober homes that it has certified in Massachusetts. This list currently contains 177 entries. It is searchable by name, region, town, zip code and type of service offered. This tool is an invaluable resource to those considering operating in the state because you can use it to better understand the market and identify holes in the state’s offerings.
It can be very difficult to find funding for sober living home projects in any state, and Massachusetts is no different. However, in 2021, MassHousing awarded over $630000 to sober living homes , or “substance-free housing units.” MassHousing is a quasi-public affordable housing agency in Massachusetts so its shift in focus to recovery housing is unusual. It’s worth keeping an eye on this agency to see if they’ll make a similar move in the future.
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