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Operators have made a bold decision to step into business ownership in a meaningful field which impacts the lives of individuals and families across the world. They come from all backgrounds and circumstances but are united by their calling to serve men and women in recovery. Vanderburgh Communities is proud to support our Operators, including lending our legal resources to help them control risk and navigate the complexities of the law and sober houses. The city conceded in a March 9 response that the occupants of the sober house were disabled, but argued the plaintiffs still needed to file for a change of use.
We’ve run sober houses in Massachusetts since 2016 and love to share what we do with our community of sober home operators across North America. Some EcoSoberHouse sober homes are independently owned and operated as EcoSoberHouse charters. Please visit Vanderburgh Communities for more information on how to become a sober living operator as a chartered organization. Sober companion Recovery focused, MASH certified, sober living community in Massachusetts. We are structured, requiring 5 meetings a week minimum, random drug testing, working or IOP’s, and much more. They have a 0 tolerance policy that helps separate us from other sober homes. EcoSoberHouse opened sober living homes for men and women in Springfield in early 2017.
Neighbors and Council members blasted the house recently, calling on the city to do anything it can. Calls to our helpline (non-facility specific 1-8XX numbers) for your visit are answered by Rehab Media. Our helpline is offered at no cost to you and with no obligation to enter into treatment.
Northborough, Massachusetts
The Operator pays expenses to keep the home open, and the remainder is profit. Successful Operators can build significant wealth while building a better world. We see a world where every person in recovery has access to a supportive, healthy, and safe home environment built on respect, focused on recovery, and led by peers. Our residents are each in different places in their personal recovery journey. We welcome new residents who are committed to living a life of continued sobriety. Applicants must be over 18 years old and haven’t used drugs or alcohol within 14 days.
Since March 12, sober house protections have been a matter of Federal law. Those amendments make it unlawful to discriminate against congregate living for those who are disabled, like sober living homes. Recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are within the scope of the term “disabled”. Therefore, sober homes for the disabled may not be discriminated against through zoning or otherwise. Sober house residents must be treated with the same dignity and respect that would be afforded any of our own family members, neighbors, or friends.
Residents Are Supported In Their Recovery Journeys
40A, Section 3, as interpreted by case law, persons in recovery from substance abuse may be qualified as disabled. Massachusetts state law further provides that groups of disabled individuals may live together in the same numbers allowable at the same property as if it were occupied by a single family home. In short, unrelated disabled individuals living together are to be treated the same as related individuals living as a family.
The plaintiffs again sent a letter to Building Commissioner John R. Kelly arguing that because the occupants are disabled under state and federal Drug rehabilitation law they must be afforded equal access to housing. Meanwhile, the operators opened a second sober house on Kenwood Avenue in February 2018.
Our Operators are branded as EcoSoberHouse recovery communities, accessing our marketing, website, print media, and outreach support Drug rehabilitation services. Residents of sober homes pay simple and low weekly or monthly rent payments which include all costs of living in the home.
In Crossing Over Inc. and the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing Inc., plaintiffs sought a judgment to prevent Fitchburg from enforcing a law that requires installing a sprinkler system in a lodging house. Again, Mr. Tine argued that the law was discriminatory under state and federal anti-discrimination laws because it treats unrelated disabled persons living in a sober home differently from families living in a home. Moreover, the plaintiffs assert that the waiver of the sprinkler law is a reasonable accommodation. While Parker believes The EcoSoberHouse is violating local zoning, Hunter Foote, The EcoSoberHouse owner, said federal fair housing law allows for the classification of recovering addicts as disabled people. The issue has galvanized neighbors, who feel The Vanderburgh is tarnishing the character of the street, which is full of old, stately homes.
For recovery resources in Southbridge, Massachusetts, please visit the Massachusetts Sober House Recovery Resources page for more information. Sober houses offer an important service to individuals in early recovery. Independent living is difficult, and sober housing offers an attractive eco sober house price alternative to many options available to men and women in early recovery. In an April 19, 2017, letter to Mayor Joseph M. Petty, Mr. Tine argued that because the occupants of the house are disabled under state and federal law, they must be afforded equal access to housing.
Sober Living In Southbridge
Mr. Tine said he plans to appeal, citing three federal court cases that have ruled differently. The house at 65 Kenwood Ave. is still operating as a sober facility. The city is trying to get the lawsuit stayed while the issues are decided in the state court system.
