State resource guide

Mississippi Recovery Houses & Sober Living: Resources & Directory

Find sober living and recovery house resources for Mississippi: what the state does and doesn't regulate, local zoning and fair housing protections, and statewide help lines and services. Browse the guide below or choose your county.

Open a home in Mississippi Find homes by county

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

Mississippi recovery house rules at a glance

State licensing agency: None for sober living. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) and State Department of Health (MSDH) oversee only clinical providers
State license: Not required: Mississippi has no state license or certification for recovery housing
Local rules: City and county zoning, occupancy, and code rules apply to every home
Fair housing: The federal Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery; complaints go to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Step by step

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

Mississippi has no state license or certification for sober living homes or recovery houses that don't provide treatment. To open one, check your city or county zoning and occupancy rules, know the federal fair housing protections for people in recovery, and put your house rules and resident agreement in writing.

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

1
Confirm the home is housing, not treatment
State requirement
Mississippi has no state license for sober living homes that don't provide clinical services. If you plan to deliver treatment on site, that falls under Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) certification and State Department of Health (MSDH) licensing for clinical providers.
- Mississippi Department of Mental Health
2
Check zoning and occupancy with your city or county
Local requirement
Call the local zoning or planning office before you sign a lease or buy. Ask how the property is zoned for group living, how many unrelated residents can live there, and which building and fire codes apply.
- The Fair Housing Act
3
Know your fair housing protections
Local requirement
The federal Fair Housing Act bars disability discrimination in housing and bars local governments from using zoning to exclude group homes for people with disabilities, including people in recovery. Complaints go to HUD, and the Mississippi Center for Justice investigates fair housing complaints.
4
Choose your house model
Voluntary certification
Decide whether the home will be peer-run or have a house manager or staff. Oxford House charters democratically run, self-supported homes where residents split expenses equally and there is no house manager.
- Oxford House, Inc.
5
Write your house policies and resident agreement
Voluntary certification
Put house rules, drug and alcohol testing, relapse, medication, guest, and refund policies in writing, and have each resident sign an agreement before moving in.
6
Connect with local services
Voluntary certification
Build referral relationships with DMH-certified treatment providers and know the crisis resources residents can use, including the DMH Helpline, 988, and your region's mobile crisis team.

Startup checklist

Confirm the home won't provide clinical treatment on site
Call your city or county zoning office about group living rules
Ask which building and fire codes apply to the house
Read the federal Fair Housing Act protections for people in recovery
Choose a peer-run or staffed house model
Write house rules and drug testing, relapse, medication, and refund policies
Set up a signed resident agreement
Post the DMH Helpline, 988, and your region's mobile crisis number in the house
Build referral relationships with DMH-certified providers

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 Mississippi

Mississippi has no state registry of sober living homes. For information about substance use services near you, call the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) Helpline at 1-877-210-8513, available around the clock, or search Mississippi Cares, the state's Network of Care directory. Oxford House lists open beds in its self-run recovery homes, and 988 offers free, confidential crisis support 24 hours a day.

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 Mississippi), 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

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) · Mississippi

Opioid settlement housing vouchers after residential treatment (Open Doors Homeless Coalition)

For Fiscal Year 2027, DMH is using Mississippi Opioid Settlement Fund money to pay for a housing voucher program, run by Open Doors Homeless Coalition, for adults leaving residential substance use disorder treatment, with a focus on the Gulf Coast. The page does not explain how to apply. Ask the residential program before discharge, or call DMH.

DMH 601-359-1288; Helpline 1-877-210-8513

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Treatment and referral navigation

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) · Mississippi

Mississippi Department of Mental Health

The state agency for mental health, intellectual and developmental disability, and alcohol and drug addiction services. Its site links to DMH-certified providers, the DMH Helpline, and crisis services.

DMH Helpline 1-877-210-8513

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) · Mississippi

DMH Helpline & Resources

The DMH Helpline gives information about mental health, intellectual and developmental disability, and substance use services near you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through DMH's Office of Consumer Support you can also file a complaint or grievance about services.

1-877-210-8513

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) · Mississippi

988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline | Mississippi Department of Mental Health

Call, text, or chat 988 for free, confidential support from trained crisis counselors 24/7, including for a mental health or substance use crisis, for yourself or a loved one.

Call or text 988

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) · Mississippi

Crisis Services | Mississippi Department of Mental Health

DMH's page on crisis services in Mississippi, including Mobile Crisis Response Teams and Crisis Residential Units, with phone numbers for each region's mobile crisis team.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Mississippi Division of Medicaid · Mississippi

Mississippi Division of Medicaid

Apply for Mississippi Medicaid online, or call to request an application by mail or to learn how to submit one.

1-800-421-2408

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Recovery community organizations

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH), Network of Care · Mississippi

Mississippi Cares (Network of Care for Behavioral Health)

The state's online behavioral health resource directory, searchable by category, including addiction recovery, crisis services, housing and shelter, employment, and financial assistance.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Employment and education

Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS) · Mississippi

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

Services for people whose physical or mental impairment is a substantial barrier to work, including counseling, job training, vocational assessment, and employment services. Request services online from this page.

1-800-443-1000

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Funding

Recovery house grants and funding in Mississippi

In Fiscal Year 2027, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) is using Mississippi Opioid Settlement Fund money to pay for a housing voucher program for adults leaving residential treatment and for sober living assistance through a community mental health center in northeast Mississippi. Operators can also apply to the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Council, whose recommendations go to the Legislature and whose first round included sober living and recovery housing projects, though no next round has been announced. Rural nonprofits and public bodies can also look to Community Facilities loans and grants from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development.

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

Mississippi Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Council (Office of the Attorney General) · Mississippi

Mississippi Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Council grant applications

The Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Council takes grant applications for opioid abatement projects. It sends a tiered list of recommended applicants to the Legislature, which decides who is funded and how much, and its first round included several sober living and recovery housing expansion projects. Applicants send a project budget that spends no more than 10% on administration, one to three letters of support, and 501(c)(3) and Mississippi nonprofit papers where they apply. The 2026 round has closed, no next round has been announced, and this page holds the 2026 round's solicitation, scoring rubric, rules and sample grant agreements.

Published or revised Aug 2026 · Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

USDA Rural Development · Mississippi

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program in Mississippi

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 Mississippi Rural Development state office first.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Public payment and scholarships for residents’ stays

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) · Mississippi

Opioid settlement housing vouchers after residential treatment (Open Doors Homeless Coalition)

DMH 601-359-1288; Helpline 1-877-210-8513

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) · Benton, Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc and Union Counties, MS

LIFECORE Health Group sober living assistance (opioid settlement TRACE grant)

For Fiscal Year 2027, LIFECORE Health Group, the Region III community mental health center, received a $363,104 opioid settlement TRACE grant, administered by DMH, to help people enter and complete addiction treatment. The money can cover sober living assistance, transportation and residential treatment beds. Ask LIFECORE's addiction services staff whether you qualify, because the page does not list eligibility rules.

LIFECORE Health Group (662) 640-4595

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Common questions

Mississippi recovery house and sober living FAQ

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

No. Mississippi has no state license, certification, or registration for sober living homes or recovery houses that don't provide clinical services. Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) certification and State Department of Health (MSDH) licensing apply only to clinical providers. City and county zoning and code rules apply either way.

What if my sober living home in Mississippi offers treatment?

Clinical services bring a home under Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) certification and Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) licensing for clinical providers. A home that offers housing alone, with residents getting treatment elsewhere, has no state license to obtain.

Can a Mississippi city use zoning to keep a sober living home out?

The federal Fair Housing Act protects people with disabilities, including people in recovery, from discriminatory housing and land-use decisions, but homes still have to follow neutral zoning, occupancy, and code rules. Complaints can go to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Mississippi Center for Justice also investigates fair housing complaints.

What should a sober living home in Mississippi have in writing?

With no state standards, your written policies set the rules. Most homes put house rules, drug and alcohol testing, relapse, medication, guest, and refund policies in writing and have each resident sign an agreement before moving in.

How do I list my sober living home in this guide for free?

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

Nearby state guides

Help improve this guide

Operate a recovery home in Mississippi, 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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Mississippi recovery house rules at a glance

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

Confirm the home is housing, not treatment

Check zoning and occupancy with your city or county

Know your fair housing protections

Choose your house model

Write your house policies and resident agreement

Connect with local services

Startup checklist

Opening your first house?

Nearby state guides

Help improve this guide