Statewide Registry of Sober-Living Homes Being Compiled by Association

A statewide registry of sober-living homes to protect recovering alcoholics and addicts from abuse could be in place by early 1993, according to the California Assn. of Alcohol Recovery Homes.

Twenty years ago, the nonprofit group helped the state draft its first laws regulating alcohol and drug recovery homes. The registry plan comes after reports in The Times of widespread profiteering by some operators of privately run sober-living houses.

Los Angeles County drug treatment officials have promoted the unlicensed homes as a low-cost way of helping homeless addicts stay off the streets and off drugs.

The association, which represents about 200 recovery homes statewide, opposes state licensing of sober-living homes, said executive director Susan Blacksher, but sees “a need for safeguards.” The association will draft its own standards for such homes and use them to inspect the homes that apply for inclusion in the registry.

“We want to preserve the good homes,” said Blacksher, “but we don’t want to keep people in business who are exploiting the helpless.”

County officials said they are exploring the possibility of using the new directory, rather than the county’s own unofficial directory that lists about 100 homes.