IT’S FLORIDA JAKE –

Jan. 23, 2022 – In 2015, Gov. Rick Scott created a voluntary certification system for sober homes through the Florida Association of Recovery Residences. Concern lies in the word “voluntary.” Sober homes are not inclined to document themselves because the vulnerable nature of their clients is what drives their profits, and being certified cuts down on such opportunities for exploitation.

The good news is that state law grants individual counties the right to create a mandatory certification entity for a specified community residence type, such as sober homes, if one does not already exist at the state level. Sober homes are difficult to touch legally because federal law restricts local governments and community members from discriminating against their occupants. The Americans with Disabilities Act classifies addicts as disabled persons, deeming them a protected class under the Fair Housing Act. Thus, local zoning laws cannot limit their right to housing.

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