If your loved one has Medi-Cal and is in outpatient treatment anywhere in LA County, we would ask about Recovery Bridge Housing through that helpline before paying any private house, ours included.
What does sober living in Los Angeles cost?
No public price list exists for Los Angeles homes, so the best anchors are two peer-reviewed studies of sober living houses in LA County. In the 2016 study by Mericle, Polcin and colleagues, lower-cost homes charged $300 to $1,350 a month, with an average of $650, while high-cost homes charged $1,500 to $10,000, with an average of $4,555. The 2020 study by Mericle and colleagues found monthly fees from $300 to $20,000. Both sets of figures are several years old, so read them as a range rather than a quote.
Within that range, rent tracks room type, staffing, meals, testing and neighborhood more than quality. Before anyone pays, get the monthly rate, the deposit and the refund terms on paper. Standard 3.0 from the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) says a certified home must disclose every fee in writing, signed, before it accepts any money.
Who oversees sober living homes in Los Angeles?
The State of California does not license sober living homes. Health and Safety Code section 11833.05, added by AB 2574 in 2024, defines a recovery residence as housing that supports recovery and does not need a DHCS license. DHCS licenses treatment instead, under section 11834.01, so a Los Angeles home that offers detox or counseling on site is acting as a treatment facility and should be able to show a DHCS license.
Certification is voluntary. CCAPP Recovery Residences, the certifying arm of NARR's affiliate in this state, certifies homes against NARR standards and keeps a searchable directory. If a Los Angeles home says it is certified, look it up in that directory yourself rather than trusting a logo on a website.
What help does LA County offer for recovery housing?
The county's Substance Abuse Prevention and Control office (SAPC) is the front door. Its Substance Abuse Service Helpline, 1-800-854-7771, option 2, connects callers to treatment and county-funded housing, and its Service and Bed Availability Tool (SBAT) is a service locator with real-time bed availability.
Recovery Bridge Housing is free to the patient, with stays of up to 180 days under SAPC's program rules. It serves adults who are homeless or unstably housed, are covered by Medi-Cal, My Health LA or another county program, and are enrolled at the same time in outpatient, intensive outpatient, opioid treatment or ambulatory withdrawal management. SAPC counted 1,278 Recovery Bridge Housing beds across the county as of January 2024, and its guide says providers may not exclude people who take medications for addiction treatment.
SAPC's newer Recovery Housing program, set out in Information Notice 25-04 in April 2025, allows up to 12 months within two years for people who were in county-contracted treatment or Recovery Bridge Housing in the last 90 days. Treatment is encouraged there but not required, self-referral is allowed, and homes must meet or exceed NARR standards.
Where do people in Los Angeles find meetings and family support?
The Los Angeles Central Office of Alcoholics Anonymous keeps a 24-hour line at (323) 936-4343 and a meeting search on lacoaa.org. Long Beach and the harbor cities have their own Harbor Area Central Office at (562) 989-7697; its site lists 739 weekly meetings across 31 cities, and the office answers phones on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Families can call the Al-Anon Information Service of Orange County and Greater Long Beach at (714) 748-1113. Go to a group for yourself even if your loved one is doing well. Family support works best when it is kept separate from the resident's own recovery work.
Why do some Los Angeles residents choose Long Beach?
Distance from old routines is the usual reason. A move south puts space between a person and the people, streets and habits tied to their substance use, while parents and partners stay close enough for visits and planning meetings. Metro's June 2026 A Line weekday timetable shows about 57 minutes between 7th Street/Metro Center in downtown Los Angeles and Downtown Long Beach.
Long Beach also sits inside Los Angeles County, so the county routes above still apply. The same SASH helpline and the same bed tool cover both cities, which means a move does not force a family to learn a new county system.
Long Beach is not the right fit for everyone. Skip this option if your loved one's outpatient program, job or court dates are on the Westside or in the San Fernando Valley and the commute would crowd out recovery, if they need detox or residential treatment first, or if they qualify for Recovery Bridge Housing and cannot pay privately. In those cases we would rather point you to the county helpline than take an inquiry we cannot serve.
What is a sensible next step?
Compare two or three homes against the table below, including any in Long Beach. If you would like to talk through a Long Beach option, call (562) 568-7256 to reach our partner home directly, or send a short message through the form on this page and ask your cost and fit questions first.
| Route | Who it fits | Cost to the resident | Length | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private sober living | Anyone who can pay rent and follow house rules | Set by each house; $300 to $20,000 a month in a 2020 LA County study | Set by the house | The home itself; ask for fees in writing |
| Recovery Bridge Housing | Adults homeless or unstably housed, on Medi-Cal, My Health LA or a county program, and in outpatient treatment | Free | Up to 180 days | Treatment provider or SASH, 1-800-854-7771, option 2 |
| SAPC Recovery Housing | People in county-contracted treatment or Recovery Bridge Housing in the last 90 days | County-funded | Up to 12 months in two years | SAPC referral; self-referral allowed |
| Medi-Cal Transitional Rent | Managed-care members who meet Drug Medi-Cal criteria, are homeless or at risk, and are in a transitioning population | Plan pays rent if approved | Up to 6 months | The member's Medi-Cal plan; L.A. Care members call (888) 839-9909 |
Built by Sober Living Long Beach from LA County SAPC program documents (Recovery Bridge Housing guide, Treatment Systems of Care 2024, Information Notice 25-04), Health Net and L.A. Care Transitional Rent policies, and Mericle et al. (2020). Program rules change; confirm with the agency before relying on them.
Common questions
How much does sober living cost in Los Angeles?
Each house sets its own rent. The most recent peer-reviewed study of LA County homes, Mericle and colleagues (2020), found monthly fees from $300 to $20,000, and an earlier 2016 study put the average for lower-cost homes at $650. Those figures are dated, so ask each home for its current rate, deposit and refund policy in writing.
Is there free sober living in Los Angeles?
There is no general free program, but LA County's Recovery Bridge Housing is free to the patient for up to 180 days for adults who are homeless or unstably housed, covered by Medi-Cal or a county program, and enrolled in outpatient treatment. Call the SASH helpline at 1-800-854-7771, option 2, to ask whether your loved one qualifies.
Does Medi-Cal pay for sober living in LA County?
Not directly. DHCS guidance excludes room and board from Medi-Cal reimbursement, so Medi-Cal covers treatment rather than rent. That treatment can make someone eligible for Recovery Bridge Housing, and since 2026 Medi-Cal Transitional Rent covers as much as six months of rent for members who meet its tests. Ask the member's Medi-Cal plan about Transitional Rent.
Do sober living homes in Los Angeles need a license?
Not when they provide housing and peer support only. California law defines these homes as recovery residences that do not need a DHCS license, while any home providing treatment on site must hold one. Voluntary certification comes from CCAPP Recovery Residences, which publishes a directory you can search before you visit.
Sources
- Health and Safety Code Section 11833.05, California Legislature
- AB 2574 (2024), recovery residence definition, California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code Section 11834.01, California Legislature
- CCAPP Recovery Residences, California's NARR affiliate
- California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals, NARR affiliate listing
- NARR Standard 3.0, National Alliance for Recovery Residences
- Mericle, Polcin et al. (2016), sober living houses in Los Angeles County
- Mericle et al. (2020), sober living houses in Los Angeles County
- Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SASH helpline, SBAT), LA County Department of Public Health
- Recovery Bridge Housing, LA County Department of Public Health SAPC
- Recovery Bridge Housing Inquiry Guide, LA County SAPC
- Treatment Systems of Care (July 2024), LA County SAPC
- Information Notice 25-04, Recovery Housing, LA County SAPC
- CalAIM Behavioral Health FAQ (room and board), DHCS
- Transitional Rent benefit, Health Net California (2026)
- Transitional Rent, L.A. Care Health Plan
- Los Angeles Central Office of Alcoholics Anonymous
- Harbor Area Central Office of Alcoholics Anonymous
- Al-Anon Information Service of Orange County and Greater Long Beach
- A Line weekday timetable (effective June 7, 2026), LA Metro
Call 911, or call or text 988. Sober living is housing, not an emergency or medical service.