The Basics
Haven House is an an expansive California bungalow with adjoining apartments in the Alamitos Beach area of Long Beach. The facility offers a secure sober living environment only a few blocks from the beach. While Haven House puts an emphasis on personal responsibility and is not a lockdown facility by any means, residents still follow a nightly curfew, have basic house restrictions and should expect random drug screenings.
Accommodations and Amenities
Set in a colorful two-story house with a large front porch and adjoining apartments in the back of the property, Haven House can accommodate 18 clients at a time. There are shared rooms on each floor of the main house. Second floor residents bunk with two roommates in a triple with a own private bathroom attached, while those on the first floor share with one to three roommates depending on space, and share a hallway bathroom. Clients can expect twin beds and basic furnishings in their rooms.
In the adjoining apartments, each unit has two bedrooms, a shared kitchen and a bathroom. Residents here sleep two to a room in bunk beds. Room-sharing is purportedly by design, as Haven House believes in using social interaction to combat isolation (and to keep the facility relatively affordable).
Amenities at Haven House include on-site laundry, wireless Internet, a porch and outdoor patio areas for soaking up the California sun.
Rules and Regulations
In order to live at Haven House, clients must actively participate in five weekly 12-step meetings and have a sponsor. Attendance at these meetings is enforced with punch cards which get checked by the house manager. The facility has a no tolerance policy for discrimination, violence (or threat of violence), sexual harassment, theft, sex on the premises or unexcused absences. Residents must also not violate curfew, which is at 11 pm on Sunday through Thursday and 12:30 am on weekends.
There is one house manager on-site who tends to all disciplinary house business and drug tests, which usually occur following any noticeably aberrant behavior. Besides this, Haven House attempts to be as self-run as possible with clients resolving house issues democratically. In keeping with this sense of independence, residents are responsible for preparing all their own meals. Those at Haven House can entertain visitors between non-curfew hours, provided all guests sign in, are active in a recovery program themselves and are approved by the house manager.
Typically clients tend to stay at Haven House for around 90 days, though this can vary—some live there as few as 30 days, others stay for upwards of a year. Each resident determines their own personal length of stay, provided they don’t break the house rules.
Extras
Haven House does not run a credit check on potential clients, nor do they require a security deposit for renters. Also, residents do not have to have completed a rehab program before their stay—instead, Haven House puts their emphasis solely on the 12 steps and maintaining sobriety.
In Summary
Overall, Haven House prides itself on creating an open, supportive environment to aid clients in tackling the next phase of recovery. They keep prices relatively low by having residents manage house affairs, and clients have a high degree of freedom in their comings and goings from the house. Having nearby beach access is definitely a perk. Though an emphasis on personal responsibility and independence means Haven House has few frills, the low cost and location make it worth considering.
Haven House Sober Living
1731 Appleton St
Long Beach, CA 90802
Haven House Sober Living Cost: $530 (30 days, house room); $550 (30 days, apartment room). Reach Haven House Sober Living by phone at (562) 901-1848. Find Haven House Sober Living on Facebook
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Sponsored DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertisement for California Behavioral Health, LLC, a CA licensed substance abuse treatment provider and not a service provided by The Fix. Calls to this number are answered by CBH, free and without obligation to the consumer. No one who answers the call receives a fee based upon the consumer’s choice to enter treatment. For additional info on other treatment providers and options visit www.samhsa.gov.
