VSL Chartered Recovery Residence
Zero Tolerance: County Sober House — Sober Living for Men in New Bedford, MA
Certified sober living for men in New Bedford, MA, in a twenty-four-bed house on County Street. Shared rooms are $185 a week and private rooms $200, with bedding, towels, hygiene products and a job-search computer.
New Bedford, Massachusetts
About Zero Tolerance: County Sober House
Zero Tolerance: County Sober House is sober living for men in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on County Street in downtown New Bedford with public transportation nearby. It has 24 beds (three private, 21 shared), and shared rooms hold three or four beds each. Bedding, towels and hygiene products are supplied. The house has air conditioning, storage, laundry, premium cable and a shared computer station that guests use for job searches, plus parking in the driveway and on the street.
Two house managers and a recovery coach work on site for Zero Tolerance, the chartered operator, and a morning ride takes men without their own transportation to a nearby resource center, running until 1pm. House meetings are held on alternating Wednesdays at 6pm. Within 30 days each man lines up a sponsor, recovery coach or mentor; overnights open at one after 30 days and two after 60. In Taunton, Zero Tolerance also runs Union Sober House for men and Zero Tolerance Sober House for women.
Rates shown are current and all-inclusive. Confirm the figure for your room type on your phone screen.
Apply NowSomeone will call you for a phone screen, usually within a few hours.
Sober Living Costs and What’s Included
Rent at Zero Tolerance: County Sober House starts at $185 a week or $800 a month and covers utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening. To move in you need $385: the first week plus the $200 deposit.
| Item | Amount | When it is due |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly rent | $185 | Every week |
| Monthly rent | $800 | Every month |
| Move-in deposit | $200 | Once, at move-in |
| Minimum funds at move-in | $385 | 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.
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 Zero Tolerance: County Sober House
Inside Zero Tolerance: County Sober House in New Bedford, MA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can live at Zero Tolerance: County Sober House?
Adults in recovery who are ready for a structured, substance-free house. This home serves men in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Most guests arrive from treatment or from another recovery residence, but that is not a requirement.
What does it cost to move in?
$385. That is your first week at $185 plus the $200 move-in deposit. Rent after that is due weekly or monthly in advance.
Is this home certified?
Yes. It is a certified recovery residence under Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing (MASH), Massachusetts's NARR affiliate, and it also operates to the standards of The Vanderburgh Foundation.
Where is the home?
New Bedford, 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 $200 a week against $185 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
County is a house for twenty-four men in New Bedford, run by Bee Flores of Zero Tolerance. Bee is a recovery coach who has rebuilt his own life, and he is most passionate about helping men coming home from incarceration do the same. With that many guests, the house has a real peer group: men at every stage who know what the first weeks feel like and can say so.
House meetings are every other Wednesday at 6 PM, and curfew is 10 PM or 11 PM depending on the night. The men share the house with a live-in House Mentor, and drug tests come at random. Bedding, towels and hygiene products are provided on arrival. A shared computer station helps with job searches, and there is off-street parking for men who drive.
What a Week in New Bedford Sober Living Looks Like
- Twenty-four men From first week to final month
- House meetings every other Wednesday At 6 PM
- Curfew of 10 PM or 11 PM Depending on the night
- A computer station For job searches
- Bedding and hygiene products Ready when you arrive
- A House Mentor who lives at County Plus random testing
Massachusetts Certification and Standards
MASH Certification
Zero Tolerance: County Sober House is a certified sober living residence, which means it meets rigorous standards for safety, structure, and accountability. All VSL homes adhere to the standards of The Vanderburgh Foundation and, where applicable, recognised certifying organisations such as MASH.
VSL Charter
This sober house is operated by Zero Tolerance. 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: Zero Tolerance
The Zero Tolerance: County Men’s Sober House in New Bedford, MA is a structured sober living home serving men in recovery from addiction. The home was established 2 years ago under the leadership of Bee Flores who is a passionate advocate for the recovery community. Bee supports his guests by leading with attention and care. He is actively involved in his community, working as a Recovery Coach and leader of the Broken Chains Biker Church.
Bee is most passionate about helping ex-convicts re-integrate into society and turn their lives around just as he was able to do. With the grace of God, Bee was able to break the cycle and make something for himself. “Without a higher power, whatever it is that you believe in, we are nowhere. I want to get people through the doors and show them the paths to change their lives.”
Many Vanderburgh Sober Living homes are independently owned and operated by Chartered Operators-members of the Vanderburgh Sober Living 501(c)3 Foundation's collaborative membership organization. Independent Chartered Operators meet the same high standards and practices as VSL's staff-managed homes. Learn more about becoming an independent operator with Vanderburgh Sober Living.
Recovery in New Bedford, Massachusetts
Around Zero Tolerance: County Sober House
Zero Tolerance: County Sober House is on County Street, west of downtown New Bedford. New Bedford Community Health on Purchase Street is about 0.6 miles away, roughly a 12-minute walk. SRTA's New Bedford Terminal is about the same distance, and the New Bedford Free Public Library is about 0.6 miles. MassHire Greater New Bedford Career Center on Elm Street is about 0.8 miles. St. Luke's Hospital is about 1.4 miles, and the nearest large supermarkets are 1.7 miles or more, so a bus or ride helps.
Clinical and outpatient services
New Bedford Community Health (formerly Greater New Bedford Community Health Center) at 874 Purchase Street runs an office-based addiction treatment program. It offers medication for opioid use disorder, individual therapy, substance use counseling, case management and peer recovery coaching, and it serves patients regardless of their ability to pay. St. Luke's Hospital at 101 Page Street, part of Southcoast Health, keeps its emergency room open around the clock.
Recovery centers and community events
PAACA runs the RISE Recovery Support Center at 497 Belleville Avenue. It is free and peer-led, and it welcomes every pathway to recovery. Members can join support groups, meet with a recovery coach one on one, and take workshops on job skills, art and meditation.
Peer support and fellowship groups
The AA Central Service Office for Eastern Massachusetts lists New Bedford AA groups in its online meeting finder, which can be filtered by day and town.
Community and quality of life
The city's whaling history is the subject of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. The MassHire Greater New Bedford Career Center at 25 Elm Street offers career counseling and job training. The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority runs buses in New Bedford, Fall River, Dartmouth, Fairhaven and smaller nearby towns. New Bedford station is the end of the MBTA Fall River/New Bedford Line to South Station in Boston.
Ways to Pay for Sober Living in New Bedford
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 Zero Tolerance: County Sober House
Apply online; someone will call you to conduct a phone screen usually within a few hours.
Other VSL Chartered Homes Near New Bedford
Union Sober HouseTaunton, MassachusettsAbout 20 miles awayView This Home- Zero Tolerance Sober HouseTaunton, MassachusettsAbout 20 miles awayView This Home
- Kayaly: Beechwood Sober HousePawtucket, Rhode IslandAbout 28 miles awayView This Home
- Kayaly: Cottage Sober HousePawtucket, Rhode IslandAbout 28 miles awayView This Home
- Kayaly: Toll Gate Sober HouseWarwick, Rhode IslandAbout 29 miles awayView This Home
- Toll Gate Sober HouseWarwick, Rhode IslandAbout 29 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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