Find sober living and recovery residence resources for Connecticut: the state's disclosure rules for every sober living home, voluntary certification and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) list, and organizations that help residents and families. Browse the guide below or choose your county.
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) lists certified homes; it does not certify or oversee them
State license
None. Public Act 18-171 sets disclosure and advertising rules for every sober living home
Voluntary certification
Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR), the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), or another DMHAS-recognized certifier
State list
Certified homes can join the DMHAS list by keeping two doses of an opioid antagonist on site and reporting open beds weekly
Step by step
How to open a recovery house or sober living home in Connecticut
Connecticut has no state license for sober living homes. To open one, check local zoning, put the required disclosure statement on your website and advertising, give prospective residents the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) disclosure form, and decide whether to seek voluntary certification, which is what gets a home onto the DMHAS list.
The steps most new operators follow to open a recovery house in Connecticut, in order. Each one links to the official form or rule behind it.
1
Check zoning with your town
Local requirement
Connecticut has no state license for sober living homes, so local rules come first. Call your town or city zoning office about group living and occupancy rules before you sign a lease. The Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions.
Every sober living home must state in bold on its website and in its publications that it is not licensed or certified to provide substance use disorder treatment. Don't make outcome claims or suggest the home is a treatment facility; violations are an unfair trade practice under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Give each prospective resident the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) one-page disclosure form, which has a signature line, and keep the signed copy. DMHAS publishes it in English and Spanish.
If you plan to seek certification, build your house rules, resident agreement, and operations around the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) standards, and decide which level of support your home offers. CTARR does not certify Level 4 residences.
Apply to the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR) or another certifier DMHAS recognizes. Homes must be at least 50% occupied before starting CTARR's process. CTARR lists an annual fee of $300 plus $3 per bed, and $100 for each additional property.
CTARR-trained inspectors visit each house once a year, and some standards can only be checked in person. Review the inspection requirements ahead of time so you don't pay for a repeat visit.
Once certified, you can report your status to DMHAS. Listed homes keep at least two doses of an opioid antagonist on site, train all residents to give it when any resident has an opioid use disorder diagnosis, and report available beds weekly.
CTARR certification lasts one year, and CTARR sends a reminder before the next inspection. Keep your disclosures and DMHAS bed reports current between inspections.
Call your town's zoning office about group living rules
Add the bold not-a-treatment-provider statement to your website and ads
Remove any outcome claims from your marketing
Print the DMHAS disclosure form and add it to intake
Write house rules to the NARR standards
Choose a certifier and check its fees
Reach 50% occupancy before starting CTARR certification
Prepare for the annual onsite inspection
Keep two doses of naloxone on site and train residents
Set a weekly reminder to report open beds to DMHAS
Calendar your yearly recertification
Free launch consult
Opening your first house?
Talk it through with an operator for 30 minutes. We’ll go over your model, zoning, policies, and the license or certification you need, and you’ll leave with a clear next-step checklist.
Connecticut does not license or certify sober living homes. Public Act 18-171 requires every sober living home to disclose that it is not licensed or certified to provide substance use disorder treatment, and lets certified homes appear on a list kept by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). Certification comes from the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR) or another certifier DMHAS recognizes.
State requirements, local requirements, and voluntary certification are labeled separately. Confirm how they apply to your home with the agency or qualified counsel.
Voluntary certification
No state license; certification is voluntary
Connecticut does not license sober living homes, and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) says it does not monitor, certify, or oversee them. Under Public Act 18-171 (effective October 1, 2018), a certified sober living home is one certified by an affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) or another organization DMHAS recognizes. As of August 2026, DMHAS recognizes the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR, the NARR affiliate), the National Sober Living Association with its local affiliate New Life II, and the National Coalition of Recovery Residences. No state law limits referrals to certified homes; certification is what gets a home onto the DMHAS list.
Disclosure and advertising rules for every sober living home
Every sober living home, certified or not, must state in bold on its website and in its publications that it is not licensed or certified to provide substance use disorder treatment. A home may not make outcome claims or imply that it is a treatment facility. Advertising violations are an unfair trade practice under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (C.G.S. 42-110b).
Public Act 18-171 calls for a one-page, plain-language disclosure form from DMHAS, with a signature line, for people considering a sober living home. Give it to prospective residents at inquiry or intake. DMHAS links the form in English and Spanish from its certified sober living homes page.
A certified home that chooses to report its status to DMHAS must keep at least two doses of an opioid antagonist, such as naloxone, on site. When at least one resident has an opioid use disorder diagnosis, the operator must train all residents to give it. Listed homes report their available beds when they first report and weekly after that.
The Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR) inspects and certifies recovery residences to the NARR national standards. Homes must be at least 50% occupied before starting, CTARR does not certify Level 4 residences, and each house gets an onsite inspection every year. CTARR lists an annual fee of $300 plus $3 per bed, and $100 for each additional property. Certified homes appear on CTARR's website.
Towns and cities set their own zoning and occupancy rules, so check with your local zoning office before you sign a lease. The federal Fair Housing Act bars local governments from using zoning or land use rules to exclude group homes for people with disabilities, including people in recovery. Housing discrimination complaints can go to the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
We show counts from public lists, not names or addresses. A home gets its own listing only when its operator asks for one, and the operator decides what it says: who the home serves, its licenses or certifications, and how to apply. The street address appears only if they want it to. Listing is free and doesn’t require ARKHE software.
Looking for a home now? Search the official lists linked above.
Finding and paying for sober living in Connecticut
To find a certified sober living home in Connecticut, check the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR) directory or the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) availability site, which reports open beds by level of care, including sober houses. For substance use treatment, the DMHAS-funded Access Line is open 24/7 at 1-800-563-4086.
Official directories for finding a licensed recovery house or sober living home, and programs that can help pay for a stay. Programs set their own eligibility, and funding or openings are never guaranteed. Contact each organization to confirm what it can offer.
Finding a recovery house or sober living home
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) · Connecticut
DMHAS's site showing open beds by level of care, including withdrawal management, residential treatment, recovery housing, and sober houses. Beds shown are not a guarantee of admission, so call the program and ask about its screening or waitlist.
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Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences · Connecticut
Search tool for open beds in Oxford Houses (self-run, self-supported recovery homes), filterable by state (including Connecticut), county, and house type, with an online application.
Oxford House, Inc. (301) 587-2916; toll-free (800) 689-6411
Nonprofit that charters democratically run, self-supported Oxford House recovery homes, where residents split expenses equally and there is no house manager.
(301) 587-2916; (800) 689-6411
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Help paying for sober living or a recovery house
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) · Connecticut
DMHAS's Behavioral Health Recovery Program pays for stays in DMHAS-contracted supported recovery houses. These are transitional, drug- and alcohol-free homes with case management on site at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Residents must have active HUSKY D Medicaid, be actively in behavioral health treatment, and have no other way to cover the need. The resident's treatment provider or the recovery house applies on their behalf to Advanced Behavioral Health, the program's administrator, and each approval covers up to 30 days, with more periods possible on request.
BHRP Recovery Support Services: 1-800-658-4472
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Treatment and referral navigation
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) · Connecticut
A 24/7 line, funded by DMHAS and run by Wheeler, that connects Connecticut residents to same-day assessment, outpatient treatment, medications for addiction, withdrawal management, and residential programs. It can arrange DMHAS-funded rides to and from inpatient or residential programs as a last resort.
How to apply for HUSKY Health (Connecticut's Medicaid program) and other DSS benefits online through ConneCT, by phone through Access Health CT, by mail, or in person at a DSS resource center.
Access Health CT 1-855-805-4325 (TTY 1-855-789-2428)
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Recovery community organizations
Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery · Connecticut
Statewide recovery community organization offering free help through eight Recovery Community Centers, telephone recovery support calls, virtual support meetings, and recovery coaching.
866-205-9770
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Employment and education
Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services · Connecticut
How to apply for vocational rehabilitation from the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS), which helps people with a physical or mental disability that makes it hard to get or keep a job with job exploration, training, credentials, and job placement.
In Connecticut, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and the Department of Housing (DOH) both fund recovery housing. The DMHAS Behavioral Health Recovery Program (BHRP), administered by Advanced Behavioral Health (ABH), pays contracted supported recovery houses for stays by residents who have HUSKY D Medicaid and are in treatment. DOH runs the Recovery Housing Program, which gives grants in funding rounds to nonprofits that own and run certified sober homes. The Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee (OSAC) recommends how the state's opioid settlement money is spent, which can include recovery housing.
Grants and public programs that can pay operators or cover residents’ stays. Public funding often requires a state license or certification, and every program sets its own eligibility and timeline, so confirm details with the agency.
Grants and funding programs
Advanced Behavioral Health, Inc. (ABH), administrator for DMHAS · Connecticut
Advanced Behavioral Health (ABH) contracts with nonprofit and for-profit organizations to run supported recovery houses for Connecticut's Behavioral Health Recovery Program. It pays $990 per resident for each 30 days of service, and residents can't be charged anything extra for housing or case management. Houses need on-site case management 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, plus on-call staff around the clock, and can't turn away residents on medication for addiction treatment. Applicants must pass a certification process that includes an interview and a site visit. The current request for qualified contractors, linked on this page, takes mailed responses and closes November 30, 2026, for contracts running January through June 2027, and awards depend on available funding. The request names one official contact for all questions and responses, and contacting other ABH staff about it may disqualify an applicant.
DOH's Recovery Housing Program gives grants of at least $50,000 to nonprofits to buy, rehab or build recovery housing, cover lease, rent and utilities, or run rental subsidies for residents. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits that own or operate a certified sober home they have run for at least a year, have been through NARR recertification at least once, and own the property the funds are for. Programs must also follow NARR standards through CTARR. The 2026 round, about $6.5 million, took letters of intent on a rolling basis and closed October 31, 2026. DOH says it expects more federal funding for the program, so check DOH's funding opportunities page for the next round.
Published or revised · Checked by ARKHE
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) · Connecticut
The Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee, co-chaired by DMHAS and a representative of Connecticut's municipalities, recommends how the state's opioid settlement money is spent. The settlement's list of approved uses (Exhibit E, linked on this page) includes recovery housing, including programs that allow medication for addiction treatment. You can email a funding suggestion of about 500 words with an annual budget to [email protected]. This is not a grant application, but an approved idea may lead to a DMHAS request for proposals, which you would then apply to. Cities and towns also receive their own settlement payments directly and report their spending to the state separately.
Low-interest loans and grants to buy, build, or improve essential facilities, including transitional housing, in rural areas of 20,000 people or fewer. Open to public bodies, community-based nonprofits and federally recognized tribes, not for-profit operators. Applications are accepted year round. Contact USDA Rural Development's Southern New England state office, which serves Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, or its Connecticut area office in Norwich or Windsor first.
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Public payment and scholarships for residents’ stays
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) · Connecticut
DMHAS's Behavioral Health Recovery Program pays for stays in DMHAS-contracted supported recovery houses. These are transitional, drug- and alcohol-free homes with case management on site at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Residents must have active HUSKY D Medicaid, be actively in behavioral health treatment, and have no other way to cover the need. The resident's treatment provider or the recovery house applies on their behalf to Advanced Behavioral Health, the program's administrator, and each approval covers up to 30 days, with more periods possible on request.
BHRP Recovery Support Services: 1-800-658-4472
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Official documents
Connecticut recovery house forms, regulations, and agency pages
Each entry shows who issued it, where it applies, and when we last checked the source.
Opening a home
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) · Connecticut
DMHAS's page on certified sober living homes: which certifying bodies it recognizes, the opioid antagonist and weekly bed-reporting rules for listed homes, the disclosure form for prospective residents in English and Spanish, and a link to available certified beds.
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Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences · Connecticut
Connecticut's NARR affiliate, a nonprofit that inspects and certifies recovery residences to national standards and offers training, a selection guide for prospective residents, and a grievance form for reporting homes that may not follow the standards.
The state law that sets disclosure and advertising rules for every sober living home, calls for a DMHAS disclosure form for prospective residents, and sets the conditions for certified homes to appear on the DMHAS list.
Published or revised · Checked by ARKHE
Inspections and applications
Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences · Connecticut
CTARR's certification steps: review the NARR standards, apply and pay online, application review, annual onsite inspection, certification, and yearly recertification. The page lists fees and the 50% occupancy requirement.
Checked by ARKHE
Zoning and fair housing
Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) · Connecticut
How to file a discrimination complaint with Connecticut's civil rights agency, which investigates at no cost. Housing complaints go to its Housing Discrimination Unit, and complaints must be filed in writing within 300 days of the act.
Housing Discrimination Unit (860) 541-3403
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division · United States
DOJ's overview of the federal Fair Housing Act, which bars disability discrimination in housing and bars local governments from using zoning or land use rules to exclude group homes for people with disabilities.
Published or revised · Checked by ARKHE
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) · United States
HUD's page for reporting housing discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act.
Checked by ARKHE
Resources for operators
Running a recovery house in Connecticut
Practical ARKHE guides that pair with the official sources in this guide.
Fill beds and stay inspection-ready
ARKHE is recovery housing software built by operators. It keeps inquiries, intake paperwork, rent, house routines, staff training, and incident records in one place, so you can find them when an inspector or funder asks.
Do I need a license to open a sober living home in Connecticut?
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No. Connecticut does not license or certify sober living homes, and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) does not oversee them. Every sober living home must still follow the disclosure and advertising rules in Public Act 18-171, and local zoning rules apply. Certification is voluntary.
What does a Connecticut sober living home have to say on its website?
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Under Public Act 18-171, a sober living home's website and publications must state in bold that it is not licensed or certified to provide substance use disorder treatment. The home may not make outcome claims or imply it is a treatment facility. Violations are an unfair trade practice under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
How do I get my sober living home on the DMHAS list in Connecticut?
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First get certified by the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR) or another certifier the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) recognizes. Then report your certified status to DMHAS, keep at least two doses of an opioid antagonist such as naloxone on site, train all residents to give it when any resident has an opioid use disorder diagnosis, and report available beds weekly.
How much does CTARR certification cost?
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The Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR) lists an annual certification fee of $300 plus $3 per bed, which includes one onsite inspection, and $100 for each additional property. Certification lasts one year.
Can a Connecticut town use zoning to keep a sober living home out?
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The federal Fair Housing Act bars local governments from using zoning or land use rules to exclude group homes for people with disabilities, including people in recovery, but homes still follow neutral zoning and occupancy rules. Complaints can go to the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) within 300 days, or to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
How do I list my sober living home 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 certifications. The street address is shown only if you want it to be. Listing never requires ARKHE software.
Is a sober living home in Connecticut a treatment program?
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No. The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) describes sober living homes as alcohol- and drug-free residences that provide no formal substance use treatment. State law requires each home to say in bold on its website that it is not licensed or certified to provide treatment.
How do I find a certified sober living home in Connecticut?
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The Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR) publishes a directory of certified homes. The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) availability site shows open beds by level of care, including sober houses. Oxford House also lists open beds in its self-run homes.
Where can I get help for drug or alcohol use in Connecticut?
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Call the Substance Use Services Access Line at 1-800-563-4086, any time. It is funded by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and connects people to assessment, outpatient care, medications for addiction, withdrawal management, and residential programs. You can also dial 211 for local services.
What should I ask a sober living home before moving in?
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Ask for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) disclosure form, which homes give prospective residents, and read it before you sign. Ask about costs and what they include, house rules, whether medication for addiction treatment is allowed, and whether the home is certified. The Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR) also has a selection guide and a grievance form.
Where can I find recovery support in Connecticut?
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The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) offers free help through eight Recovery Community Centers, telephone recovery support calls, virtual support meetings, and recovery coaching. Call 866-205-9770.
Sources and review
How this Connecticut guide is sourced and reviewed
Last reviewed: . Each resource shows the date we last loaded its source.
Compiled by:ARKHE. Listing in this guide is free and never requires ARKHE software.
We include official agency pages, published regulations, and established statewide organizations. Each entry links to its source. Items we could not confirm from a primary source are left out until we can.
County home counts come from the public lists named above, on the dates shown. Closed homes are left out, and homes without a county on the list are placed by ZIP code.
Individual homes are listed only at the operator’s request, and the operator controls what the listing says. Licensing or certification status is shown only with a source and the date we checked it.
Operate a recovery home in Connecticut, or know a resource we should include? Submit your information or suggest an update to help us keep this guide useful and accurate.