and there are no widely adopted methods to track or monitor any aspect of these facilities, including their location, number of residents, on-site management and ownership.
Several cities, including Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Anaheim, have in place ordinances that regulate sober living homes. In, no convicted sex offenders, violent felons or drug dealers can run sober homes. Supervision of clients 24/7 is required, sober homes must be at least 650 feet apart, residents must be actively participating in “legitimate” recovery programs and transportation must be provided when residents leave.
“The requested audit, when completed, will ensure that California’s Department of Health Care Services is properly regulating facilities and fully complying with all relevant laws and regulations in order to fully and effectively protect not only the residents of these facilities but the community at large,” said Newman.
“These licensed recovery and treatment facilities, while necessary, change the fabric of our neighborhoods. My district is saturated with them,” said Valencia, who represents Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana in north Orange County. “The audit will bring much-needed transparency on the Department of Health Care Services’ licensing and regulatory processes of these facilities.”