Did you know that 61% of the American population uses illicit drugs annually? While many use relatively harmless drugs like marijuana, others find themselves addicted to more severe substances. If you’re fighting addiction, you may be curious which to choose between sober living vs. halfway house.

But what are these two options, and how are they different from rehab? If you’re interested to learn more about these rehab alternatives, we’re here to help. Read on to learn more about sober living vs halfway house.

What Is Sober Living?

To start, let’s dive into what makes sober living an option. But what is sober living? Is this just promising yourself to stay clean?

Sober living is a place to stay with a supportive community. The residents in a sober-living home commit to staying clean and abstaining from substance use.

Sober living residents will often participate in outpatient programming. They often also undergo inpatient drug rehabilitation while in the sober living home.

Pros of Sober Living

Why should you choose a sober living home over other options? Here are some of the main benefits of this alternative to rehab.

Support Group

A sober living home has other residents that can work as a support group. It’s common for inhabitants of these homes to make close friends with their fellow residents.

These groups come in several different forms. Some sober living homes are even peer run! These homes are democratically run by the residents, while others may have more oversight.

Develop New Habits

A primary benefit of a sober living home is developing new habits. The sober living home is an ideal place to work yourself into new routines and habits to help you stay sober.

These habits are often enforced once you’re done in the home. When you begin your recovery as an outpatient, you should carry these habits into your journey of staying clean.

Cons of Sober Living

While sober living is a fantastic option, that isn’t to say it’s for everyone. Here are some cons to consider while looking at your stay in a sober living home.

Less Regulation

Sober living homes are typically less strict than other forms of rehabilitation. For many people, this fits their needs perfectly.

However, if you’re in need of greater care, a sober living home may not have the care you need. Sober living homes come in several different “tiers”, where higher tiers have more strict guidelines.

You should research a sober living home to see if it’s right for you. Make sure you pay close attention to the guidelines and regulations the home sets.

Strict Requirements

Some sober living homes also allow residents to live there only so long as they meet guidelines. While some rehab facilities will keep patients even during a relapse, sober living homes may not accept such events.

If you fail to meet the requirements that a sober living home sets forward, you may be evicted. In this situation, your journey of sobriety can become much more difficult.

What Is a Halfway House?

Now that we better understand sober living homes, we can look at halfway houses. These homes have much in common with sober living homes.

The term “halfway house” comes from where the home sits in a journey of sobriety. A halfway house is meant to serve as the mid-point between an institution and independent society.

Halfway house residents typically come from inpatient treatment facilities or correctional facilities. These houses are meant to gently reintroduce tenants back into society.

Pros of the Halfway House

To start, let’s look at some benefits of the halfway house. These are key to understand in your decision.

State Owned

One benefit of the halfway house is that they’re state or government owned. That means that they benefit from governmental funding, which can be a huge plus in some communities.

Sober living homes, by contrast, are typically private. As such, they’re often not covered by insurance. It’s common for residents of a sober living home to feel like they’re there for a profit.

Mandated Recovery

Another strong benefit is that these homes comes with ways to help residents get better. The same is true for sober living homes, and halfway houses use similar tactics.

A halfway house may have mandated systems such as regular drug checks or medical examinations. These checks help to ensure that the residents are remaining sober and not relapsing on their treatment. Mental health and educational services are also provided by most halfway houses.

The quality of these services depends on the halfway house in particular. You should research a halfway house beforehand if possible.

Cons of the Halfway House

There are several cons to the halfway house to be aware of. Here are some of the cons of this alternative to rehab.

Forced Residence

One quirk of the halfway house is that residents are often placed there by law. Someone may be assigned to a halfway house after a drug charge or a government-ordered program.

As such, many residents aren’t there willingly. In some cases, this results in a less-than-favorable set of residents in a home that may not suit all people.

You also won’t be able to leave should you find it’s your time to do so. Many people will transition from a halfway house to a sober living home depending on their financial situation.

Lack of Funding

While being state-funded can be a plus, it also comes with cons. If you live somewhere where these homes aren’t well-funded, the facility may not be desirable.

Factors such as this depends entirely on your state and city. Look into how your government funds these homes before considering this option.