Choosing sober living or transitional housing

6 min read · Written for: Veterans leaving treatment or seeking a structured living environment.

Structure is the product you are buying. Nine questions separate a real recovery residence from a rented bunk.

1. Step 1

   Ask the nine questions before you tour

   Cost and what it includes, curfew, chore and meeting requirements, drug-testing policy, who manages the house, how conflicts are handled, whether medication-assisted treatment is allowed, average length of stay, and what gets someone removed.

2. Step 2

   Visit at a busy hour

   Go when residents are home. Look at the kitchen, the bathrooms, and whether anyone speaks to you. A well-run house feels like a household, not a waiting room.

3. Step 3

   Confirm medication policy in writing

   Some houses restrict prescribed medications. If you are on maintenance medication, get the policy in writing before you pay anything.

4. Step 4

   Line up the next step on day one

   Ask what residents typically do after they leave and whether the house helps with that transition. A house with no exit plan tends to produce repeat moves.