Alcohol-anddrug-free (ADF) housing, also called sober housing, or sober living environments, or alcohol-free living centers, provides domestic accommodation for people who choose to live in an environment that is free of alcohol and/or drugs. ADF housing is ordinary housing, located in residentially zoned areas, distinguished only by the residents' shared commitment not to use alcohol or other drugs.

By definition, ADF housing excludes formal treatment or recovery services on the site. The philosophic premise of ADF housing is that the sober living environment is itself the "service" for residents. ADF housing provides a setting for daily living that supports residents' efforts to maintain sobriety among themselves.

As a practical matter, the presence of on-site human services wouldsubject ADF residences to state or local licensing of staff and to certification of their facilities. Under such circumstances, residences wouldbe treatment facilities and no longer ADF...