When people say “sober living,” they might be referring to very different types of recovery residences. NARR’s standards describe a spectrum of recovery housing and break it into four levels of support to make comparisons clearer.
Level I (Peer-run)
Democratically run, recovery-focused, substance-free home
Often relies on peer accountability and shared house guidelines
Oxford House™ is a widely known example of a peer-run model mentioned in NARR’s descriptions.
Level II (Monitored)
Commonly what people mean by “sober living”
House rules + peer accountability, often with a house manager
Level III (Supervised / staffed)
More structured oversight (often paid staff and programming)
Stronger link to outside services and recovery supports
Typically more structure than Level II
Level IV (Service provider / clinically integrated)
Highest support intensity
Often tied to licensed services or formal treatment programming (varies by state rules)
Why this matters (for families, residents, and professionals)
Recovery is a process of change, and people need different environments over time.
Using Levels I–IV helps avoid mismatches—like placing someone who needs high structure into a setting that’s designed to be peer-run.
Next step: On Recovery Resource Alliance, use Browse by State and filter resources by what you need (housing, services, family support, professionals). If you’re an operator, you can also Submit Resource to keep your info accurate.