The Basics
With three facilities in the beautiful Santa Barbara, California area, New House can accommodate up to 95 men in a sober living environment that supports the next phase of recovery. Each house is within close proximity of a college or university, making educational opportunities accessible. There are also plenty of outlets for drug-free entertainment. Though the houses here don’t provide any sort of treatment per se, residents can participate in outpatient treatment in the local area.
Accommodations and Amenities
New House’s sober living houses are simply called New House II, New House III and Grad House, which offers transitional housing for residents re-entering the community. House II, which was built in 1969, was at first a private residence and then a rest home until 1984 when it was purchased by New House to serve as a sober living facility. Today, it houses 47 men. House III, which was opened in 1991, accommodates 40 men in its 20 bedrooms. It was originally built in 1947 as the El Jardin Guest House, a residence for the ambulatory elderly. Both houses have a commercial kitchen, patio, meeting area, dining room and living room.
Grad House, not far from the other two, is a four-bedroom, three-bath structure with two apartments in the back that can accommodate eight men who have transitioned from House II or House III. This is the last stop in housing before residents move back into their respective communities.
Unlike many sober living homes, New House provides three healthy meals a day for residents, prepared by two full- and one part-time cooks who work at all three houses. Each resident is responsible for contributing toward general housekeeping responsibilities.
Residents serve as staff and run their own respective house with the assistance of a house manager. To help the men stay on track with their recovery, AA meetings are held on site each week by local 12-step groups.
Once a resident has achieved six months of sobriety, he is eligible to apply for a room in the Grad House.
Rules and Regulations
Each house operates under four basic rules in addition to several house rules. The basic four are:
1. No consumption of any mind-altering chemical or alcoholic beverage. 2. No physical, mental or emotional abuse of guests, other residents or staff members. 3. Curfew is enforced 100 percent with no exceptions. A resident will not be allowed entry to the house if he returns after curfew. 4. Every New House resident is required to attend evening house meetings. The meeting days vary from house to house. If a resident breaks any of these rules, he faces immediate dismissal from New House.
The house rules cover conduct, attire, smoking, housekeeping and guests and differ from house to house. Prospective residents are informed of the rules during admission interviews.
Extras
Men are permitted to stay at New House for as long as is required. Typically, successful sobriety requires at least one year.
Only men 18 years of age and older qualify for admission. Anyone who cannot walk or suffers from severe mental illness is not eligible to apply due to licensing issues. A new resident must also be clean and sober for at least 24 hours. If a former resident decides to return, he must be interviewed by the executive director before being readmitted into the program.
In Summary
In beautiful houses on some of the most prime real estate in the world, recovering men will find a structured but fair environment for the next stage of their recovery. New House asks that its residents serve as support for each other in the process and, when needed, will do honesty checks so that everyone has a better chance of maintaining their sobriety. Treatment services aren’t provided here, though residents may seek outpatient support. All residents are also encouraged to find employment as soon as possible after moving into New House and to participate in local events around Santa Barbara.
New House II
227 W Haley St
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
New House III
2434 Bath St
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Grad House
2021 Castillo St
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
New House Cost: $900 (30 days for house and room). Reach New House by phone at (805) 563-6050 or by email at sbnewhouse.org. Find New House on Facebook and Twitter
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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.
