State resource guide

District of Columbia Recovery Houses & Sober Living: Resources & Directory

Find recovery residence and sober living resources for Washington, DC: what the District does and doesn't require, the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and its 24/7 Access HelpLine, fair housing protections under the DC Human Rights Act, and services for residents and families.

Open a home in District of Columbia Find homes by district

Last reviewed October 29, 2026Every resource links to its source

District of Columbia recovery house rules at a glance

Licensing agency: None. The District of Columbia has no license or certification for recovery residences
Behavioral health agency: DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), which funds some recovery residences through opioid-response grants
Rules for funded houses: Set by the terms of each Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) grant
Fair housing: DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) enforces the DC Human Rights Act, which covers disability and source of income

Step by step

How to open a recovery house or sober living home in District of Columbia

The District of Columbia has no license or certification for recovery residences, so opening one starts with District zoning and occupancy rules, fair housing law and the house's own policies. The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) funds some recovery residences through its opioid-response grants, and those grant terms set the rules for funded houses.

The steps most new operators follow to open a recovery house in District of Columbia, in order. Each one links to the official form or rule behind it.

1
Know what the District does and doesn't require
State requirement
The District has no license or certification for recovery residences. If you plan to seek Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) funding, the grant terms will set the house's requirements.
2
Check District zoning and occupancy
Local requirement
Confirm that the property meets District zoning and occupancy rules before you sign a lease. The federal Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions.
- The Fair Housing Act
3
Follow fair housing law in admissions
State requirement
The DC Human Rights Act bars housing discrimination based on disability, source of income and other protected traits, so write admission rules that apply the same way to everyone. The DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) and HUD take complaints.
- OHR's Fair Housing Resources
- Report Housing Discrimination
4
Write your house rules and policies
Voluntary certification
With no District standards to follow, the house's own written rules matter: costs and refunds, sobriety expectations, medications, visitors, chores and how a resident may be asked to leave. Oxford House's self-run model is one widely used approach.
- Oxford House, Inc.
5
Plan for crisis and overdose response
Voluntary certification
Post the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Access HelpLine, 1-888-793-4357, in the house. It is open 24/7 and can send mobile crisis teams. Decide how the house will respond to an overdose and train residents and staff.
- Access HelpLine
6
Connect residents to treatment and benefits
Voluntary certification
Residents can get a substance use assessment at DBH's Assessment and Referral Center, apply for DC Medicaid through District Direct, and seek job help from the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

Startup checklist

Confirm the property meets District zoning and occupancy rules
Write admission rules that follow the DC Human Rights Act
Write house rules, costs and a refund policy
Write a policy on medications and how residents may be asked to leave
Post the DBH Access HelpLine number in the house
Plan your overdose response and training
Keep DBH's Assessment and Referral Center details on hand for residents
Check DBH grant terms if you plan to seek District funding

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.

Request a free launch consult

For residents and families

Finding and paying for sober living in District of Columbia

The District doesn't publish a list of sober living homes, but Oxford House's vacancy search lists open beds in its self-run homes. For substance use treatment, the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Access HelpLine is open 24/7 at 1-888-793-4357, and District residents 21 and older can walk in to DBH's Assessment and Referral Center at 75 P Street NE on weekdays. The 211 Warmline connects people to social services.

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

Oxford House, Inc. · United States

Oxford House Vacancies

Search tool for open beds in Oxford Houses (self-run, self-supported recovery homes), filterable by state (including District of Columbia), county, and house type, with an online application.

Oxford House, Inc. (301) 587-2916; toll-free (800) 689-6411

Checked by ARKHE Oct 26, 2026

Oxford House, Inc. · United States

Oxford House, Inc.

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

Checked by ARKHE Oct 26, 2026

Treatment and referral navigation

DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) · District of Columbia

Substance Use Disorder Services

DBH's overview of substance use disorder services for District residents, including how to enroll through the Assessment and Referral Center or a community-based provider, and recovery support such as care coordination, mentoring, coaching, job readiness and transportation.

(202) 673-2200

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) · District of Columbia

Treatment Services (Assessment and Referral Center)

How to get assessed for substance use treatment at DBH's Assessment and Referral Center, which takes walk-ins on weekdays from District residents 21 and older with a photo ID. Clinicians recommend a level of care, and you choose from certified providers.

75 P Street NE; (202) 727-8473; Monday-Friday 7:00am-6:00pm (arrive before 3:30pm for same-day service)

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) · District of Columbia

Access HelpLine

DBH's 24/7 line, staffed by behavioral health professionals, that refers callers to immediate help or ongoing care and can send mobile crisis teams to adults and children in crisis.

1-888-793-4357 (1-888-7WE-HELP); TTY 711

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

DC Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) · District of Columbia

How to Apply for DC Medicaid

How to apply for DC Medicaid online through District Direct, by phone, at an Economic Security Administration service center, or by mail or fax. The District does not require in-person interviews.

Public Benefits Call Center (202) 727-5355

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Recovery community organizations

Government of the District of Columbia · District of Columbia

211 Warmline

The District's central hub for social service resources and referrals, with a program search and call agents who can connect you to help.

Dial 211 or (202) 463-6211; TTY 711

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

DC Department of Health (DC Health) · District of Columbia

MyRecoveryDC

The District's peer recovery program, where you or a loved one can ask to be contacted by a Certified DC Peer, a person in recovery who works at a peer-operated center or as a health outreach peer and can help you find treatment and recovery services. It also has a treatment and recovery services map and peer stories.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Total Family Care Coalition (TFCC) · District of Columbia

Total Family Care Coalition – Peer Operated Center services

A peer-operated center in Washington, DC that has served the city since 2006. It offers peer support, case management, substance use (SUD) assistance and behavioral health resources for individuals and families. It is at 1214 I St SE, Suite 12.

(202) 249-1000

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Employment and education

DC Department on Disability Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) · District of Columbia

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Help for people with disabilities to prepare for, find, regain or keep a job, including counseling, training or education, job placement and job coaching, built around an Individualized Plan for Employment.

(202) 730-1700; TTY (202) 730-1516; [email protected]

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Funding

Recovery house grants and funding in District of Columbia

In the District, the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) pays for recovery housing through competitive grant rounds funded by the federal State Opioid Response grant and the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services (SUPTRS) Block Grant. Its intensive care management rounds pay community-based organizations to open and run recovery residences meeting National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Level III or IV standards, and a 2026 peer-led round offered rental assistance for residents of homes run to NARR Level I or II standards. DBH's Office of Opioid Abatement also gives out opioid settlement money as grants, and transitional housing is among the areas it has funded. Both are posted as Requests for Applications (RFAs) on DBH's site, and no recovery housing round is open right now.

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

DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) · District of Columbia

DBH recovery residence grants (DC Opioid Response)

DBH has run several competitive grant rounds to open and run recovery residences with intensive care management for District residents with opioid or stimulant use disorder, including returning citizens and young adults 18 to 24. The money comes from the federal State Opioid Response grant and the SUPTRS Block Grant. For those rounds, applicants had to be community-based organizations located in the District with at least one year of residential experience, and the houses had to meet National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Level III or IV standards. DBH also ran a 2026 Peer-Led Recovery Housing round, which closed August 28, 2026. It offered $525,000 for one award to give residents up to three months of rental assistance in peer-led homes run to NARR Level I or II standards. The latest rounds have closed, and DBH has not announced a new one.

[email protected]

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) · District of Columbia

DBH Requests for Applications

Where DC's Department of Behavioral Health posts its open grant competitions, each with an application package, a pre-application conference and a deadline. DBH has run several rounds of recovery residence grants for organizations serving people with opioid or stimulant use disorder, plus opioid abatement grants, and its closed list links from this page. No recovery housing round is open right now, so check back or sign up for DC funding alerts.

[email protected]

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) · District of Columbia

Office of Opioid Abatement (opioid settlement grants)

The District's Office of Opioid Abatement, part of DBH, gives out opioid settlement money from the Opioid Abatement Fund as grants. The areas it has funded include transitional housing, peer workforce development and treatment expansion. Organizations looking for future funding should watch DBH's Request for Applications page, which the office names as the place to look.

(202) 673-2200; [email protected]

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Common questions

District of Columbia recovery house and sober living FAQ

Do I need a license to open a sober living home in Washington, DC?

No. The District of Columbia has no license or certification for recovery residences or sober living homes. Houses must still follow District zoning and occupancy rules, the federal Fair Housing Act and the DC Human Rights Act. Houses funded by the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) also follow the terms of their grants.

Does the DC Department of Behavioral Health certify recovery residences?

No. The District has no certification law for recovery residences. The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) funds some recovery residences through opioid-response grants, and the grant terms set the requirements for those houses.

Can DC zoning keep a recovery residence out of a neighborhood?

Houses must follow neutral District zoning and occupancy rules, but the federal Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions. Complaints can go to the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Can a DC sober home turn away a resident who pays with a voucher?

The DC Human Rights Act bars housing discrimination based on source of income, as well as disability and other protected traits. The DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) investigates housing discrimination complaints.

How do I list my recovery residence in this guide for free?

Request a free listing. You choose what it shows, such as who the home serves. The street address is shown only if you want it to be. Listing never requires ARKHE software.

Nearby state guides

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District of Columbia recovery house rules at a glance

How to open a recovery house or sober living home in District of Columbia

Know what the District does and doesn't require

Check District zoning and occupancy

Follow fair housing law in admissions

Write your house rules and policies

Plan for crisis and overdose response

Connect residents to treatment and benefits

Startup checklist

Opening your first house?

Nearby state guides

Help improve this guide