On December 31, 2025, the Vanderburgh Foundation formally concluded one of the most comprehensive recovery housing research initiatives we have ever undertaken.
Over the course of the year, we funded and supported a full analysis of recovery housing frameworks across 31 states in the United States. This was not surface-level research. It was a structured review of certification systems, regulatory environments, funding pathways, enforcement patterns, operational standards, and real-world barriers to entry in each state studied.
The goal was straightforward:
Reduce confusion. Increase quality. Strengthen recovery housing nationwide.
That research resulted in the creation of two major resource collections that are now publicly available.
Opening Doors to Recovery Housing
The first outcome of this initiative is the Opening Doors to Recovery Housing book series.
This is a state-specific collection designed to equip operators, developers, nonprofit leaders, and community stakeholders with the knowledge required to explore, plan, and establish recovery housing in their state.
Each volume is tailored to the legal, regulatory, and practical realities of a specific jurisdiction. Rather than offering generic guidance, the series addresses:
- Compliance considerations unique to that state
- Certification pathways and oversight bodies
- Funding mechanisms and public policy context
- Common barriers and real-world launch challenges
- Practical next steps for responsible development
These books are grounded in operational experience. They reflect the lived realities of opening and sustaining recovery homes—not abstract theory.
Developed by Vanderburgh Sober Living, a national leader and pacesetter in recovery housing since 2016, and led by Dr. Hunter T. Foote, the series draws from years of hands-on operational practice and policy engagement across multiple states.
The objective is clarity. When someone decides to open recovery housing, they should understand the landscape before they invest capital, sign leases, or welcome guests.
Explore the full collection here: https://shop.vanderburghhouse.com/collections/opening-doors
Sober Living Blueprints™ by State
The second major output of the 2025 research initiative is the launch of Sober Living Blueprints™ by State.
Opening a sober living home is meaningful work. But meaningful work requires structure.
Every state has its own certification bodies, inspection processes, funding pathways, zoning considerations, and compliance expectations. Good intentions are not enough. Without clarity, even well-meaning operators can find themselves overwhelmed by complexity.
The Sober Living Blueprints™ are designed to remove guesswork and replace uncertainty with structure.
Each Blueprint provides:
- Clear explanations of certification requirements
- Practical guidance on regulatory expectations
- Insight into how oversight bodies operate
- Frameworks for building compliant operational systems
- Strategies for financial sustainability and long-term viability
These are not generic online courses repackaged across jurisdictions. Each Blueprint is tailored to the laws, certification standards, and recovery ecosystem of a specific state.
The purpose is simple: help people do this work correctly from the beginning.
Explore the full collection here: https://shop.vanderburghhouse.com/collections/sober-living-blueprints-by-state
Why This Research Matters
Recovery housing remains one of the most essential and most misunderstood parts of the recovery continuum.
In many states, regulatory clarity is fragmented. Certification systems vary widely. Funding pathways are inconsistent. Local implementation can differ from written policy. For new operators, the learning curve is steep. For communities, the stakes are high.
The Vanderburgh Foundation funded this 2025 research initiative because quality in recovery housing should not depend on trial and error.
When operators have clear, state-specific guidance:
- Compliance improves
- Homes stabilize more quickly
- Guests are better protected
- Community trust increases
- Long-term recovery outcomes improve
Infrastructure matters. Knowledge matters. Structure matters.
From Research to Impact
This was not academic research for its own sake. It was funded with a purpose: to create practical tools that raise the standard of recovery housing development nationwide.
The result is two structured, implementable resource collections:
- Opening Doors to Recovery Housing
- Sober Living Blueprints™ by State
Both are now available through the Foundation’s resource platform. As with all Foundation educational initiatives, proceeds support ongoing recovery housing research, education, and quality improvement efforts.
We are proud of what was accomplished in 2025. More importantly, we are confident that these resources will help responsible operators build stronger homes in more communities.
If you are considering developing or expanding recovery housing in your state, this research was conducted with you in mind.