State resource guide

Maine Recovery Houses & Sober Living: Resources & Directory

Find recovery residence and sober living resources for Maine: the state's voluntary certification law, what certification unlocks, the Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR) certification process and directory, fair housing protections, and statewide help. Browse the guide below or choose your county.

Open a home in Maine Find homes by county

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

Maine recovery house rules at a glance

Certifying body: Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR), the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR)
State license: None. Certification is voluntary under 5 M.R.S. 20005(22)
Contracts and vouchers: Since July 1, 2022, only certified residences can receive department contracts or public housing assistance and vouchers for people in recovery (5 M.R.S. 20057)
Discharge rule: Certified residences need a discharge and transfer policy approved by a recognized credentialing entity

Step by step

How to open a recovery house or sober living home in Maine

Certification is voluntary for a Maine recovery residence, but since July 1, 2022, only certified residences can receive Maine Department of Health and Human Services contracts or housing assistance and vouchers from the department, the Maine State Housing Authority or a municipality. The Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR) certifies homes to the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) standard after an application, document review and inspection.

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

1
Decide whether you'll seek certification
Voluntary certification
Certification is voluntary in Maine, but only certified residences can receive department contracts or housing assistance and vouchers for residents from the department, the Maine State Housing Authority or a municipality.
- 5 M.R.S. 20005: Powers and duties (subsection 22, certification of recovery residences)
- 5 M.R.S. 20057: Certified recovery residences
2
Check zoning with your city or town
Local requirement
Municipalities set their own zoning, building and occupancy rules. Call the code enforcement or zoning office before you sign a lease. The Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions.
- The Fair Housing Act
3
Review the NARR standard and code of ethics
Voluntary certification
The Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR) certifies to National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) standards. Review the standard, the code of ethics and MARR's inspection checklist before you apply.
- Apply for MARR Certification
- Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR)
4
Write a discharge and transfer policy
State requirement
A certified residence needs a written discharge and transfer policy approved by a credentialing entity the department recognizes. An approved policy lets the residence discharge a resident immediately in the limited situations the law allows.
- 5 M.R.S. 20057: Certified recovery residences
5
Apply to MARR
Voluntary certification
Submit MARR's online application with the $50 non-refundable fee. A MARR Membership Committee member reviews it, and you submit documents showing compliance with NARR policies and the code of ethics.
- Apply for MARR Certification
6
Pass the inspection
Voluntary certification
MARR staff schedule a physical inspection of the property after reviewing the application. Once certified, you receive a certificate good for one year, and the residence appears in MARR's directory.
- Apply for MARR Certification
- MARR Certified Recovery Residence Directory
7
Stay certified
Voluntary certification
Certification lasts one year. MARR bills annual membership dues of $400 plus $3 per bed on your inspection or certification date, with $250 more for each additional house.
- Apply for MARR Certification

Startup checklist

Decide whether you'll seek department contracts or resident vouchers
Call your city or town's zoning or code enforcement office
Review the NARR standard and code of ethics
Work through MARR's inspection checklist
Write a discharge and transfer policy
Submit MARR's application and $50 fee
Gather documents showing compliance with NARR policies
Prepare for the physical inspection
Put your annual renewal date on the calendar

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.

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Licensing and certification

Recovery house requirements in Maine

Maine has no state license for recovery residences. Under 5 M.R.S. 20005(22), certification is voluntary and based on national criteria, and under 5 M.R.S. 20057, a residence must be certified to receive department contracts or public housing assistance for people in recovery. Certified residences with an approved discharge and transfer policy may discharge a resident immediately in limited situations.

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

Voluntary certification of recovery residences (5 M.R.S. 20005(22))

Maine law has the department set certification criteria for recovery residences by rule, based on criteria from a nationally recognized organization that supports people recovering from substance use disorder. Certification is voluntary, and a residence can operate without it.

5 M.R.S. 20005: Powers and duties (subsection 22, certification of recovery residences)

State requirement

Certification required for state contracts and housing assistance

Beginning July 1, 2022, a recovery residence must be certified to receive a department contract for the residence or its services, or, where not in conflict with federal law, housing assistance or vouchers for people recovering from substance use disorder from the department, the Maine State Housing Authority or a municipality (5 M.R.S. 20057).

5 M.R.S. 20057: Certified recovery residences

State requirement

Discharge and transfer policy for certified residences

A certified residence must have a written discharge and transfer policy approved by a credentialing entity the department recognizes. With an approved policy, the residence may immediately discharge or transfer a resident when it is necessary for the resident's welfare, the resident's needs can't be met there, or other residents' or employees' health or safety is at risk, notwithstanding Maine's landlord-tenant law.

5 M.R.S. 20057: Certified recovery residences

Voluntary certification

MARR certification

The Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR), the Maine affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), certifies residences to NARR standards. Applicants submit an online application with a $50 non-refundable fee, provide compliance documents, and pass a physical inspection. A certificate is good for one year, and MARR lists annual membership dues of $400 plus $3 per bed.

Local requirement

Local zoning and fair housing

Cities and towns set their own zoning and building rules, so check with your municipality before opening. The federal Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory zoning and land-use decisions.

For residents and families

Finding and paying for sober living in Maine

To find a certified recovery residence in Maine, use the Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR) directory, which can be filtered by city, county and level. Oxford House lists open beds in its self-run homes. For help finding local services, dial 211 or text your ZIP code to 898-211, any time.

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

Maine Association of Recovery Residences · Maine

MARR Certified Recovery Residence Directory

Map and spreadsheet of MARR-certified recovery residences that can be sorted and filtered by city, county, level and more.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

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 Maine), 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

Help paying for sober living or a recovery house

Maine Association of Recovery Residences · Maine

Housing Subsidy Services Program (HSSP)

Government-funded rental assistance, run by MARR, that helps pay for a new resident's stay at a participating MARR-certified recovery residence, usually for up to 60 days. Residents apply to a participating residence as usual and ask whether the subsidy is available. To take part, a residence must be MARR certified, allow medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and agree to the program rules.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Maine Association of Recovery Residences · Maine

MARR Bed Sponsorship Fund

Covers first-month rent and admission fees for a first move-in to a participating MARR-certified residence, for adults 18 and over with a substance use disorder diagnosis who can't pay them. You must be accepted by a participating residence first, then apply, and MARR calls within 48 hours to interview you. People already living in the home don't qualify, and not every certified residence accepts the award. Funds are limited, awards are made month by month, and the program pauses when funds run out.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Maine Legislature · Maine

22 M.R.S. 4309(6): General Assistance for recovery residence residents

A town can't deny General Assistance just because a person lives in a recovery residence. Town housing assistance can go only to a certified recovery residence, except for one 30-day period at an uncertified one. If an eligible resident of a certified residence asks, the town must pay the housing assistance directly to the residence's operator.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Treatment and referral navigation

211 Maine · Maine

211 Maine

Free, confidential referral service, available 24/7 in all languages, that connects people with programs for housing, food, health care and mental health, plus an online directory. It partners with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

Dial 211; text your ZIP code to 898-211; [email protected]

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Maine DHHS, Office for Family Independence · Maine

MaineCare

MaineCare is Maine's Medicaid program, offering free and low-cost health coverage based on household and income. Apply online through My Maine Connection, by mail, email or fax, or in person at a district office.

Office for Family Independence (855) 797-4357

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Recovery community organizations

Portland Recovery Community Center (Maine Recovery Hub) · Maine

Recovery Community Centers in Maine

Maine's Recovery Hub keeps a statewide map of recovery community centers, about 20 as of December 2025. Use it to find a nearby center that offers peer recovery coaching, meetings and recovery activities.

(207) 553-2575

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Portland Recovery Community Center · Maine

Maine Recovery Hub – How We Can Help

Portland Recovery Community Center serves as Maine's Recovery Hub, developing and coordinating the statewide network of 19 recovery community centers. The Hub helps communities open new centers and runs the state's peer recovery coaching infrastructure: Recovery Coach Academies, continuing education, train-the-trainer courses and Maine Board Certification for recovery coaches. It also keeps statewide lists of prevention, treatment and recovery resources.

(207) 553-2575

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Maine DHHS, Office of Behavioral Health · Maine

Substance Use Disorder Recovery Supports

The state's page on community and peer recovery supports: the Maine Recovery Hub, which supports nine state-funded recovery community organizations, a tool and PDF lists to find a recovery community center or peer center, recovery coaching, and recovery residences.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Employment and education

Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services · Maine

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Maine's vocational rehabilitation program helps people with physical, mental or emotional disabilities get and keep a job. The page links to eligibility details and how to apply.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Funding

Recovery house grants and funding in Maine

In Maine, most public money for recovery housing goes to residences certified by the Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR). MARR runs the government-funded Housing Subsidy Services Program (HSSP) and its own Bed Sponsorship Fund, which help pay for new residents' stays, and a town's General Assistance can pay a certified residence directly for an eligible resident's housing. MaineHousing (the Maine State Housing Authority) awards federal Recovery Housing Program funds, through occasional requests for proposals, to nonprofits and Indian Tribes that buy, rehab or build transitional housing for people in recovery.

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

MaineHousing (Maine State Housing Authority) · Maine

Recovery Housing Program (RHP)

MaineHousing awards federal HUD Recovery Housing Program funds to nonprofits and Indian Tribes to buy, rehab, convert or build transitional rental housing (stays of up to 24 months) for low- or moderate-income people in recovery, kept affordable for at least 15 years. The latest request for proposals required the owner to be or become MARR certified. That round has closed; this page lists MaineHousing's current and past RHP requests for proposals.

[email protected]; (800) 452-4668 or (207) 626-4600

Published or revised 2026 · Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

USDA Rural Development · Maine

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program in Maine

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 the Maine Rural Development state office first.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Public payment and scholarships for residents’ stays

Maine Association of Recovery Residences · Maine

Housing Subsidy Services Program (HSSP)

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Maine Association of Recovery Residences · Maine

MARR Bed Sponsorship Fund

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Maine Legislature · Maine

22 M.R.S. 4309(6): General Assistance for recovery residence residents

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Michael's Active Recovery · Aroostook County, ME

Michael's Active Recovery Scholarship

A Fort Kent nonprofit's quarterly scholarship that lists help with recovery residence costs, alongside detox and inpatient treatment, for people facing financial hardship. Payments go directly to a provider the board approves, which must meet state regulations and certifications. Download the application from this page; the board answers within seven days.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Official documents

Maine 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

Maine Legislature · Maine

5 M.R.S. 20057: Certified recovery residences

Since July 1, 2022, a recovery residence must be certified to receive department contracts or public housing assistance and vouchers for people in recovery. It also lets certified residences with an approved discharge and transfer policy discharge a resident immediately in limited situations.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Maine Legislature · Maine

5 M.R.S. 20005: Powers and duties (subsection 22, certification of recovery residences)

Subsection 22 directs the department to set voluntary certification criteria for recovery residences by rule, based on criteria from a nationally recognized organization that supports people recovering from substance use disorder.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Maine Association of Recovery Residences · Maine

Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR)

Nonprofit affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) that sets ethical and safety standards for Maine recovery residences and certifies them to NARR standards.

844 Stevens Avenue, 1st Floor Rear, Portland, ME 04103

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Inspections and applications

Maine Association of Recovery Residences · Maine

Apply for MARR Certification

MARR's certification steps: review the NARR standard and code of ethics, apply online with a $50 non-refundable fee, submit compliance documents and pass a physical inspection. The page lists annual dues of $400 plus $3 per bed, with $250 more for each additional house.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Zoning and fair housing

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division · United States

The Fair Housing Act

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 Jun 22, 2023 · Checked by ARKHE Oct 26, 2026

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) · United States

Report Housing Discrimination

HUD's page for reporting housing discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 26, 2026

Maine Human Rights Commission · Maine

Fair Housing Provisions

The Maine Human Rights Commission enforces the fair housing part of the Maine Human Rights Act. Anyone who believes they faced housing discrimination can file a complaint with the commission. The page links to the law, the commission's rules, examples of covered activities and the intake form.

(207) 624-6290

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Common questions

Maine recovery house and sober living FAQ

Do I need a license to open a sober living home in Maine?

No. Maine has no state license for recovery residences, and certification is voluntary under 5 M.R.S. 20005(22). But since July 1, 2022, a residence must be certified to receive department contracts, or housing assistance and vouchers for residents from the department, the Maine State Housing Authority or a municipality. Local zoning rules apply either way.

How do I get a recovery residence certified in Maine?

Apply to the Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR), the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR). Review the NARR standard and code of ethics, apply online, submit compliance documents and pass a physical inspection. A certificate is good for one year.

How much does MARR certification cost?

The Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR) lists a $50 non-refundable application fee, which is applied to membership dues, and annual dues of $400 plus $3 per bed. Each additional house costs $250 more plus $3 per bed.

Can a certified recovery residence in Maine discharge a resident right away?

Yes, in limited cases. Under 5 M.R.S. 20057, a certified residence with a discharge and transfer policy approved by a recognized credentialing entity may discharge or transfer a resident immediately, notwithstanding Maine's landlord-tenant law, when it is necessary for the resident's welfare, the resident's needs can't be met there, or other residents' or employees' health or safety is at risk.

Can a Maine town use zoning to keep a recovery residence out?

The federal Fair Housing Act bars local governments from using zoning or land-use rules to exclude housing for people with disabilities, including people in recovery. Residences still have to follow neutral zoning and building rules. Housing discrimination complaints can go to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

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 and its certifications. The street address is shown only if you want it to be. Listing never requires ARKHE software.

Nearby state guides

New Hampshire recovery housing guide

Help improve this guide

Operate a recovery home in Maine, or know a resource we should include? Submit your information or suggest an update to help us keep this guide useful and accurate.

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Maine recovery house rules at a glance

How to open a recovery house or sober living home in Maine

Decide whether you'll seek certification

Check zoning with your city or town

Review the NARR standard and code of ethics

Write a discharge and transfer policy

Apply to MARR

Pass the inspection

Stay certified

Startup checklist

Opening your first house?

Nearby state guides

Help improve this guide