Sober Living Homes in Mississippi

What is a sober living home and how is it different from rehab?

A sober living home, also called a recovery residence, is shared housing in Mississippi that asks residents to stay alcohol- and drug-free, and it differs from rehab because it is housing, not treatment. Residential rehab in Mississippi provides clinical care from licensed staff around the clock, while a sober home offers a room, house rules and peers in recovery.

Many residents attend outpatient treatment or an intensive outpatient program during the day and return to the house at night. Our research turned up no state certification scheme or registry for Mississippi recovery homes, so ask each home whether it holds any outside certification and which body issued it.

Correctional halfway houses are a separate thing. The justice system runs them or contracts for them, and it decides who is placed there. Mississippi’s intervention courts are certified by the Administrative Office of Courts, and a court program may still set conditions about where a participant lives.

Rent in a Mississippi sober home is usually paid by residents themselves, weekly or monthly. Before moving in, ask about curfew, chores, guests, drug testing, refunds and what can lead to discharge. Get the policy on buprenorphine or methadone in writing too, since some homes accept residents who take these medications and others do not.

Are sober living homes in Mississippi certified or regulated?

We found no state certification program or registry for recovery residences in Mississippi. The national recovery residence association’s affiliate list showed no Mississippi affiliate. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health, through its Division of Certification, certifies agency providers of substance use disorder services under the DMH Operational Standards. That system covers treatment providers, so a home that runs its own clinical services may fall under it.

Ask each home whether it holds DMH certification or any outside certification, and ask for the certifying body’s name. You can then raise the answer with the DMH Helpline, 1-877-210-8513, which is staffed around the clock. We found no published rule on whether state-funded referrals must go to certified homes, so ask the referring program how it chooses placements.

What the national support levels mean

National standards sort recovery homes into four levels by how much staffing they have.

How much does sober living cost in Mississippi, and who pays?

Residents usually pay the rent in a Mississippi sober home themselves, often weekly or monthly. We found no state source that sets typical prices.

Public money can sometimes help with a placement. DMH runs the federal State Opioid Response grant through its Bureau of Behavioral Health. Its 2023 funding notice required funded programs to help clients obtain recovery supports, housing among them. That notice is older, so ask whether help is available now. DMH also distributes opioid settlement abatement grants, paid to programs as reimbursement. Intake staff at state-funded programs can tell you what applies.

Health coverage, including Mississippi Medicaid and its MississippiCAN plans, centers on treatment services. For treatment coverage, see programs that accept Medicaid.

What should you ask before moving into a sober home?

Ask about house rules, curfew, chores, guests and meetings. Ask how often drug testing happens and who pays for it. Ask about expected length of stay, how refunds work, and what can lead to discharge.

Some homes discharge residents the same day after a return to use. If a home does, ask whether staff help arrange a safe place to go and a link to treatment. Tolerance drops after a stretch without use, and using at a former dose then carries a higher overdose risk. Ask where naloxone is kept in the house. Under a statewide standing order dated March 2, 2026, Mississippi pharmacists can dispense naloxone to any person regardless of age. The state’s Good Samaritan law also protects anyone who seeks help in good faith during an overdose: that person shall not be arrested, charged or prosecuted for a drug violation.

Your rights as a resident

The federal Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from substance use disorder who are not currently using illegal drugs. Under it, landlords and local officials cannot turn away a recovery home or its residents on that basis alone. Fair housing complaints can be filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a legal aid office can help you file.

Can you live in a sober home while taking medication for opioid use disorder?

Yes, many sober homes accept residents who take buprenorphine or methadone, though not all do. Get the policy in writing, including how medication is stored and whether the home treats prescribed medication as use. If you need a prescriber nearby, see Suboxone clinics and methadone clinics in Mississippi.

Filters on the listings let you narrow the options by gender, medication policy, populations served, location and languages spoken. Two in three listed homes sit within 25 miles of a river, a median of 9.5 miles away, and the Yazoo and Tippah rivers are among the nearest (more on rivers). Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International is the nearest airport for half the listings, and the median drive to the nearest airport is 14.2 miles. Elevations range from 160 to 330 feet, and half the homes are within 25 miles of a named high point such as Thacker Mountain.

Our national sober living guide explains more, and the Mississippi treatment page lists other care types across the state.