Do I need a license to open a sober living home in Pennsylvania?
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Not always. A license from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is required only if the house takes referrals from state agencies or state-funded facilities, or receives federal, state, or county funding. Houses that take neither may operate without one. Your municipality's zoning and occupancy rules apply either way.
What is a DDAP licensed recovery house?
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A DDAP licensed recovery house holds a license from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) under Act 59 of 2017 and 28 Pa. Code Chapter 717. Pennsylvania law defines a drug and alcohol recovery house as housing that gives people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction a safe, supportive, drug- and alcohol-free environment, which may include peer support and other recovery support services. Only licensed houses may take referrals from state agencies or state-funded facilities or receive federal, state, or county funding, and since January 1, 2023, Single County Authorities (SCAs) may fund only licensed houses. Each license covers one house, lasts one year, and is renewed annually. DDAP's facility locator lists every licensed recovery house.
How do I open a recovery house in Pennsylvania?
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First decide whether the house will take referrals from state agencies or state-funded facilities, or public funding; if it will, it needs a license from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP). Check zoning and occupancy with your municipality, prepare the house to the physical plant and fire-safety standards in 28 Pa. Code Chapter 717, choose a house manager, and write the required policies and resident paperwork. Then apply through DDAP's online licensing portal, one application per house, with a $250 fee; a DDAP licensing specialist reviews the policies and walks through the house before it is licensed. Certification from the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences (PARR) is voluntary and separate. A halfway house is a different kind of program: DDAP says a halfway house can offer treatment, and any freestanding facility that provides drug and alcohol treatment must hold a DDAP treatment facility license, not a recovery house license.
How much does a DDAP recovery house license cost?
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DDAP lists a $250 application fee for each house. A full license lasts one year and is renewed annually.
How do I apply for a DDAP recovery house license?
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Apply online through DDAP's licensing portal. Each house applies separately with copies of its required policies, its ownership details, and the $250 fee. DDAP also offers a free Recovery House Application Workshop. This guide's Open a home section lists each step with its official form.
What rules do licensed recovery houses in Pennsylvania follow?
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Licensed houses follow 28 Pa. Code Chapter 717, effective December 11, 2021. It covers house manager training; staff CPR, first aid, and overdose-reversal training within 90 days; Pennsylvania State Police background checks; resident rights and intake paperwork; resident records kept four years after exit; overdose-reversal medication on site; fire safety; and reporting unusual incidents to DDAP within three business days.
Is PARR certification the same as a DDAP license?
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No. PARR certification is voluntary and comes from the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences, the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR). A DDAP license comes from the state. A house can hold either, both, or neither.
Can a Pennsylvania town use zoning to keep a recovery house out?
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The Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions, but houses still have to follow neutral zoning and occupancy rules. Complaints can go to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Are there grants or funding for recovery houses in Pennsylvania?
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Yes, mostly for DDAP-licensed houses. Single County Authorities (SCAs) and DDAP's regional partners, including The Bridge Foundation, can pay for residents' stays, and many counties grant opioid settlement money for recovery housing. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) also funds affordable housing projects through its PHARE fund. The Funding section of this guide lists current programs, deadlines, and eligibility.
How do I list my recovery house in this guide for free?
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Request a free listing. You choose what it shows, such as who the home serves and its licenses or certifications. The street address is shown only if you want it to be. Listing never requires ARKHE software.
What's the difference between a recovery house, sober living, and a halfway house in Pennsylvania?
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DDAP's housing page treats recovery houses and sober living together: recovery or sober living housing that receives referrals from state agencies or state-funded facilities, or receives federal or state funding, must be licensed by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP). DDAP also says any house that meets the law's definition of a recovery house counts as one, whatever it calls itself. A halfway house is different. DDAP describes it as a home-like setting that can offer treatment, and it publishes a separate list of licensed halfway houses. A recovery house is not a treatment provider.
How do I find a licensed recovery house or sober living home in Pennsylvania?
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Search the DDAP facility locator with the facility type set to Recovery House to find DDAP-licensed houses. The Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences (PARR) directory lists residences with voluntary PARR certification, which is separate from a DDAP license. Your county's Single County Authority (SCA), its drug and alcohol office, can also refer you.
Can I get help paying for sober living or a recovery house in Pennsylvania?
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Some Single County Authorities (SCAs), the county drug and alcohol offices, fund stays at licensed houses for eligible county residents, usually through a treatment referral. Bucks, Delaware, Lancaster, and Philadelphia counties have published programs. Statewide, The Bridge Foundation's Bridge To Recovery Housing program can pay a DDAP-licensed house for a new resident's first month while funds last; in counties served by a DDAP regional partner, the referral comes from that partner. Contact your county's SCA to ask what it offers.
What is a Single County Authority (SCA)?
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A Single County Authority is a county drug and alcohol office. Pennsylvania has 47 SCAs serving all 67 counties. SCAs help with treatment funding, assessment, and referrals, and some fund recovery house stays for eligible county residents. This guide lists each county's SCA under Homes by county, and DDAP publishes the statewide directory.
What should I ask a recovery house before moving in?
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Ask about costs and what they include, house rules, whether medication for addiction treatment is allowed, and whether the house holds a DDAP license or PARR certification. PARR's residence selection guide has a longer list of questions.