VSL Chartered Recovery Residence
Elm Men's Sober House — Sober Living for Men in Worcester, MA
Sober living for men in Worcester, MA, in a nineteen-bed house on Elm Street, on a bus route and a short walk to the park. Shared rooms are $190 a week and private rooms $210, paid weekly or monthly.
Worcester, Massachusetts
About Elm Men's Sober House
Elm Men's Sober House is sober living for men in Worcester, Massachusetts, with 19 beds on Elm Street, two in private rooms and 17 in shared rooms. The driveway takes six cars, with street parking beyond that, a useful detail for guests who drive to work. Inside are free WiFi, air conditioning, laundry, storage and a computer station. A park and a bus route are both within walking distance, so getting to a job, counseling or a meeting across Worcester does not require a car of your own.
The home is run by Recovery Housing Initiative and belongs to the Vanderburgh Sober Living network. A House Mentor lives in the house, and drug screening is random. Sunday at 7 p.m. is the mandatory house meeting. Curfew is earlier for newcomers: 10 and 11 p.m. during the first month, then 11 p.m. and midnight once a guest passes 30 days. Elm Women's Sober House sits on the same street, and other men's options include Neelex Community Sober House on Warner Avenue or Men of Dignity: King Sober House.
Rates shown are current and all-inclusive. Confirm the figure for your room type on your phone screen.
Rates updated October 11, 2026
Apply NowSomeone will call you for a phone screen, usually within a few hours.
Sober Living Costs and What’s Included
Rent at Elm Men's Sober House starts at $190 a week or $823 a month and covers utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening. To move in you need $390: the first week plus the $200 deposit.
| Item | Amount | When it is due |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly rent | $190 | Every week |
| Monthly rent | $823 | Every month |
| Move-in deposit | $200 | Once, at move-in |
| Minimum funds at move-in | $390 | At move-in (first week plus deposit) |
Rent is due in advance and covers utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening. Nothing on that list is billed separately.
The deposit is paid once, at move-in, and is separate from your first week's rent. The minimum shown above is both together.
Rates updated October 11, 2026
Private and Shared Rooms
Single rooms are offered first to existing guests and are rarely available for new incoming guests.
All-inclusive sober living rent payments are due weekly or monthly and are not currently covered by insurance or subsidies. The deposit shown above is due when you move in. Please be prepared to meet your financial obligations.
Rent includes urine screen costs and all utilities.
House Details at a Glance
- Private Rooms
- Free WiFi
- Parking
- Air Conditioning
- Premium Cable
- Storage
- Laundry
- Computer Station
- Job Opportunities
- Transportation
- Local Recovery Resources
- Counseling
- Grocery and Pharmacy
- Parks and Recreation
Photos of Elm Men's Sober House
Inside Elm Men's Sober House in Worcester, MA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can live at Elm Men's Sober House?
Adults in recovery who are ready for a structured, substance-free house. This home serves men in Worcester, Massachusetts. Most guests arrive from treatment or from another recovery residence, but that is not a requirement.
What does it cost to move in?
$390. That is your first week at $190 plus the $200 move-in deposit. Rent after that is due weekly or monthly in advance.
Is this home certified?
Not currently. Massachusetts certifies recovery residences through Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing (MASH), and this home is not certified by them today. It operates to the standards of The Vanderburgh Foundation, and certification status is something you are entitled to ask about directly.
Where is the home?
Worcester, MA. The exact street address is shared after your phone screen, which is how we protect the privacy of the people living here.
What is included in the rent?
Utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening are all covered by the weekly rate. There is no separate bill for any of them.
Are private rooms available?
Sometimes. Private rooms are $210 a week against $190 shared, and they go first to guests already living in the house, so they are rarely open to someone moving in.
How soon can I move in?
Apply online and someone calls you for a phone screen, usually within a few hours. Availability changes daily, so the call is where you find out what is actually open.
Life in Sober Living: Structure and Peer Support
Nineteen men in different stages of recovery live at Elm Men's, so there is almost always someone around and someone further along than you are. The house meeting is Sunday at 7 PM and it is mandatory: that is where problems get raised early instead of left to fester. A House Mentor in long-term recovery lives in the home and keeps the routine steady.
For the first 30 days, curfew is 10 PM on weeknights and 11 PM on weekends, and after 30 days each moves an hour later. Random drug and alcohol screens apply to all nineteen men. Guests keep recovery meetings of their choosing, work or school, and a share of the chores. The house is on a bus route and a short walk from Elm Park, which helps a new guest build a routine outside the house.
What a Week in Worcester Sober Living Looks Like
- A mandatory Sunday meeting At 7 PM
- Curfew of 10 PM weeknights and 11 PM weekends An hour later after 30 days
- Nineteen men At different stages of recovery
- On a bus route A short walk from Elm Park
- A House Mentor in long-term recovery Living on site
- Random screening For every man in the house
A Vanderburgh Chartered Home
VSL Charter
This sober house is operated by Recovery Housing Initiative. Some Vanderburgh Sober Living homes are independently owned and operated by Chartered Operators of the Vanderburgh Sober Living network. A charter means the home operates to the standards of The Vanderburgh Foundation and carries the support of the wider VSL network.
What Men in Our Homes Say
Residents, families and neighbours of Vanderburgh Sober Living homes.
Vanderburgh was a lifesaver for me. Real recovery with real people. A great group of guys, and thank you so much for the work you do.
Your home has been a lifesaver for me and many people I have met in this house. This is real recovery and it's focused on what really matters, which is the health and safety and recovery of everyone here.
You guys are amazing. I am so happy to help lead a recovery community that really focuses on real recovery.
Shared with permission. Last names withheld.
Home Leadership: Recovery Housing Initiative
Elm Men's Sober House is operated by Recovery Housing Initiative, a structured recovery housing operator providing safe, supportive sober living homes for people in early recovery from substance use disorders. Each home is designed to support residents through clear house expectations, peer support, and an environment that promotes personal responsibility, consistency, and healthy daily routines.
With a focus on quality and outcomes, Recovery Housing Initiative offers structured sober living for people transitioning from treatment, detox, or other clinical settings. The organization emphasizes recovery-focused culture, respectful shared living, and strong operational oversight to ensure each residence remains well-managed and supportive.
Recovery in Worcester, Massachusetts
Around Elm Men's Sober House
Elm Men's Sober House is on Elm Street in the Lincoln Estate-Elm Park Historic District, west of downtown Worcester. Elm Park is about 0.3 miles away, a 6-minute walk. A supermarket on Park Avenue is about 0.5 miles, roughly 10 minutes. Everyday Miracles and Family Health Center of Worcester are each about 0.6 miles, an 11- to 12-minute walk. The MassHire career center is about 0.7 miles, around 15 minutes, and the main public library is about 0.9 miles. WRTA Route 31 runs via Elm Street.
Peer support and fellowship groups
Worcester's AA meetings are listed by Worcester Area Intergroup, which also runs a 24-hour HALTline. Meetings start early and run into the evening, so a shift worker can usually find one.
Clinical and outpatient services
AdCare Hospital on Lincoln Street provides medically supervised detox, and AdCare Worcester offers intensive outpatient and standard outpatient programs with flexible start times. Family Health Center of Worcester provides primary care and behavioral health care regardless of ability to pay. UMass Memorial Medical Center operates emergency departments at its University and Memorial campuses and offers outpatient mental health services.
Recovery centers and community events
A short walk downtown, Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Support Center hosts free support groups, recreation and social events. It is a Spectrum Health Systems program, and its staff are peers with personal or family experience of recovery.
Community and quality of life
The MassHire Central Career Center helps job seekers with resumes, hiring events and grant-funded training. The Worcester Public Library is downtown on Salem Square, and WRTA buses cover the city. Elm Park, about 6 minutes away, is the easiest place to get outside after work.
Ways to Pay for Sober Living in Worcester
Most guests pay for sober living themselves, weekly or monthly. Rent is not currently covered by insurance or state subsidy. There are still more ways to cover it than most people expect, and the three below are the ones that come up most often. If money is the only thing standing between you and a bed, say so on the application. We would rather have that conversation than lose you to it.
Private Pay
Paying yourself is the most common route. Rent is all-inclusive: utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening all come out of the weekly rate, so there is no second bill to plan around. Most guests cover it from wages, and the house schedule is built to make that possible.
Family Support
Families often cover the first few weeks while a guest gets back to work. That is a normal way to start, and nobody here will treat it as unusual. A parent, partner or sibling can pay the deposit and rent directly, and we will walk them through the house rules, the schedule, and what to expect in the first month.
One thing to be clear about: the agreement is with the guest, not with the family.
Grants & Scholarships
Some states fund recovery housing directly, through scholarships, bed subsidies, or reentry grants run by state agencies and nonprofits. The money is limited and the programs change, so ask early instead of assuming there is nothing. Put it on your application if you need help with funding.
Grants & scholarships in MassachusettsNot sure how you’ll cover it? Apply anyway — the phone screen is the right place to talk it through.
Apply to Elm Men's Sober House
Apply online; someone will call you to conduct a phone screen usually within a few hours.
Other VSL Chartered Homes Near Worcester
Elm Women's Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsLess than a mile awayView This Home- Germain Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 1 mile awayView This Home
- Men of Dignity: King Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 1 mile awayView This Home
- Men of Dignity: Wellington Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 1 mile awayView This Home
- Forest Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 1 mile awayView This Home
- Men of Dignity: Circuit Ave Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 2 miles awayView This Home
Vanderburgh Sober Living homes are independently owned and operated by Chartered Operators. From day one you get the training, the operating systems, the brand, a Sober House Directory listing and a network of operators who have already done it.
Apply online; someone will call you to conduct a phone screen usually within a few hours.
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