VSL Chartered Recovery Residence
Forest Sober House — Sober Living for Women in Worcester, MA
Sober living for women in Worcester, MA, in a deliberately small house on Forest Street, a walk from Indian Lake, with a side yard and plenty of parking. Private rooms are $225 a week, utilities included.
Worcester, Massachusetts
About Forest Sober House
Forest Sober House is sober living for women in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Forest Street within walking distance of Indian Lake. For now the house is kept to two beds, both in private rooms, so the household stays small and calm. The property has a side yard and plenty of parking. Inside are free WiFi, air conditioning, laundry, storage and a computer station, and a guest may keep a TV in her room if she uses headphones. The nearest public transportation is 15 to 20 minutes away on foot.
Recovery Housing Initiative runs Forest within the Vanderburgh Sober Living network, and a House Mentor lives in the home. Each guest attends three recovery support meetings a week of her choosing, and one of the three may be virtual. Curfew is 11 p.m. every night of the week. House meetings will be held on Sundays, with the time still being set. Women who want a bigger household can look at Germain Sober House, with 24 beds, or Elm Women's Sober House, with 17.
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 Forest Sober House starts at $190 a week or $825 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 | $825 | 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
All-inclusive rent payments are due weekly or monthly and are not covered by insurance or subsidies.
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 Forest Sober House
Inside Forest Sober House in Worcester, MA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can live at Forest Sober House?
Adults in recovery who are ready for a structured, substance-free house. This home serves women 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 $225 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
Forest is a very small house for women in Worcester, and the size is deliberate. With so few guests, the household works more like a shared home than a program, and each woman's progress is visible to the others. That brings a closeness a bigger house cannot offer, and it means the women here lean on each other, and on the House Mentor who lives in the home, every day.
The house meeting is planned for Sundays, and curfew is 11 PM every night. Testing for drugs and alcohol at Forest is random. Outside, there is plenty of parking and a side yard, and Indian Lake is within walking distance for anyone who wants to get outside after a long day. A new guest gets a quiet place to steady herself, with support in the next room.
What a Week in Worcester Sober Living Looks Like
- A very small house By design
- An 11 PM curfew Every night of the week
- Sunday house meetings As currently planned
- A House Mentor sharing the home There for support every day
- Walking distance to Indian Lake With a side yard at home
- Screening at random For drugs and alcohol
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 Women in Our Homes Say
Residents, families and neighbours of Vanderburgh Sober Living homes.
I have been here now for 2 years. If it wasn't for the safety and well run houses such as this one I would have never stayed sober. I feel proud and safe every time I come home and have such uplifting support every day.
My sober house has been instrumental in my recovery. It is a comfortable environment that allows you to be independent. You're held accountable and expected to uphold values that are consistent with your recovery. I am extremely thankful for the friends that I have made here.
My daughter has been living with Vanderburgh House for several months. Though she had been to many rehabs and other programs, this was her first sober house. This is the one place that we found has worked.
Shared with permission. Last names withheld.
Home Leadership: Recovery Housing Initiative
Forest 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 Forest Sober House
Forest Street runs through the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District near Chadwick Square, on Worcester's north side. Morgan Park is about 0.3 miles from the house, a 6-minute walk. Indian Lake is about 0.9 miles away, close to a 19-minute walk, and a supermarket near Chadwick Square is about the same distance. West Boylston Street, where WRTA Routes 30 and 31 run, is about 0.6 miles, roughly 11 minutes on foot. AdCare Hospital is about 2 miles away, and Everyday Miracles and the MassHire career center are each a bit over 2 miles downtown.
Recovery centers and community events
Women in Worcester can connect with Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Support Center at 25 Pleasant Street. It is a peer recovery program of Spectrum Health Systems, run by people in recovery or family members of people in recovery, and its groups, social events and computer access are free.
Peer support and fellowship groups
Worcester Area Intergroup keeps the AA meeting schedule for the area, which can also be found through the Meeting Guide app. Its 24-hour HALTline at (508) 752-9000 is there for anyone who needs to talk at an odd hour.
Clinical and outpatient services
AdCare Hospital at 107 Lincoln Street offers medically supervised detox around the clock, and AdCare Worcester runs intensive outpatient programs, plus day treatment for people stepping down from a higher level of care. Kennedy Community Health has Worcester sites on Lincoln Street and Tacoma Street with behavioral health care and office-based addiction treatment. UMass Memorial Medical Center handles emergencies, with emergency departments on both its University Campus and its Memorial Campus.
Community and quality of life
The MassHire Central Career Center downtown helps with resumes, job leads, workshops and training. WRTA buses on West Boylston Street link the north side to the rest of the city. Morgan Park and the shore of Indian Lake give the neighborhood room for walks.
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 Forest Sober House
Apply online; someone will call you to conduct a phone screen usually within a few hours.
Other VSL Chartered Homes Near Worcester
Germain Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 1 mile awayView This Home- Elm Men's Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 1 mile awayView This Home
- Elm Women's Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 1 mile awayView This Home
- Men of Dignity: King Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 2 miles awayView This Home
- Men of Dignity: Wellington Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 2 miles 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.
Loading the application…
Trouble with the form? Open the application on its own page.