Sober living in Massachusetts costs money, and for many people in early recovery that cost is the barrier. This guide lists the grants, scholarships, and assistance programs that help pay for a bed in a MASH-certified sober house, what each one actually pays for, and how to apply.
Program status changes often, and two of the programs below are either paused or no longer pay housing costs at all. Every entry was re-verified against the program’s own primary source in August 2026, and the status is flagged where it matters. The table below shows what each program covers today.
Vanderburgh Sober Living can help you find sober house funding in Massachusetts. Call us at (844) 762-3747.
Fourteen programs are covered below. This table summarizes who each one is for, what it actually pays for, and where it stands as of August 2026.
| Program | Who it is for | What it pays for | Status, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAP (Rent Assistance Program) | People moving into, or already living in, a MASH-certified sober home who lack income | Weekly rent paid directly to the certified sober home | Application paused for volume; check before applying |
| ATR (Access to Recovery) | Adults three months to two years into recovery in Boston, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield, Holyoke, or Worcester | Care coordination, recovery planning, job readiness and employment support, transportation, clothing, IDs | Open, but no longer pays housing costs |
| Project NORTH | Anyone using one of five Massachusetts courthouses; no open case required | A navigator who helps you find sober housing and treatment, not a rent payment | Open at five courthouses |
| RAFT | Massachusetts households under 50% of area median income | Up to $7,000 per 12-month period for rent, utilities, and moving costs; the landlord must apply too | Open |
| Chapter 115 Safety Net | Eligible low-income Massachusetts veterans | Rent assistance and daily living expenses, through a local Veterans’ Service Officer | Open |
| Power Forward | People entering a MASH-certified partner home in Massachusetts | The first three to six weeks of sober housing | Open |
| Herren Project | People in treatment nationwide, referred by a case manager or counselor | Seven weeks of rent on a taper (100% weeks 1–4, then 75%, 50%, 25%) plus a recovery coach for six months | Open; eligible once every two years |
| Curran’s Calling | People moving from treatment into a Curran’s Calling partner home in Massachusetts | Up to one month of room and board, in two payments, the second after 30 days | Open |
| The Sunrise Fund | Massachusetts residents, North Shore prioritized, actively working a 12-step program | First month’s rent in a Sunrise Fund–approved sober house | Open; excludes anyone on MAT |
| Rise Again | Women in Massachusetts entering a MASH-certified, Rise Again–approved home | One month’s rent, paid directly to the home, renewable on review | Open; once every 12 months |
| Trial Court Reentry Housing | Justice-involved people on supervision, pre-trial, on probation or parole, or releasing from prison | Up to three months of sober housing, plus longer-term transitional housing | Open; accessed through a criminal justice partner |
| Release Recovery Foundation | LGBTQIA+ individuals nationally; the fund is based at Caron Treatment Center in Pennsylvania | Treatment, sober living, recovery coaching, and clinically recommended aftercare | Open; no Massachusetts-specific eligibility |
| Catholic Charities Boston | Households in Eastern Massachusetts facing eviction, a shut-off, or a heating emergency | Emergency rent, utility, and fuel assistance, not recovery-housing money | Funds not guaranteed in Norfolk, Suffolk, Plymouth, or Essex counties |
| Society of St. Vincent de Paul | Anyone in need, through a local parish conference | Short-term emergency aid; terms vary by conference | Open; contact your local conference |
Operators reading this for the other side of the ledger: how residents pay is one chapter of a much larger job. Both resources below are Massachusetts-specific.
RAP: The Rent Assistance Program for MASH-Certified Sober Homes
The Rent Assistance Program (RAP) pays weekly rent directly to MASH-certified sober homes for people in early recovery who cannot cover it themselves. RAP money is federal: it flows from Section 8071 of the SUPPORT Act into the Recovery Housing Program administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, which works through the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) and contracts with the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing (MASH) to run it.
Two groups are eligible: people who want to move into a certified sober home but have no income yet, and current residents who have lost employment. Applications are submitted to MASH, not to BSAS.
Who RAP Is For and What It Covers
- Who it is for: people in early recovery with a demonstrated financial need who are moving into, or already living in, a MASH-certified sober home.
- What it covers: weekly rent, paid as a voucher directly to the certified home.
- Eligibility: the home must be MASH-certified. Applicants are either entering a home without income or are current residents who lost work.
- How to apply: through MASH. As of August 2026 the online RAP application is paused because of application volume, and MASH asks applicants not to call but to keep checking for it to reopen.
As of August 2026 the RAP application is paused because of high volume, and MASH asks applicants not to call but to keep checking the application page. RAP is the largest source of direct rent help for MASH-certified homes in Massachusetts, so it is worth checking weekly.
Learn more: Residential Assistance Program (RAP) for Sober Living Residents in Massachusetts
ATR: Access to Recovery Support Services in Massachusetts
Access to Recovery (ATR) no longer pays sober house fees or rent. The program is still open and still administered by the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, but as of August 2026 what it provides is care coordination, recovery planning, job readiness and employment support, and supportive services such as transportation, clothing, and identification documents. If you came to this page looking for ATR to cover a bed, it will not.
Who ATR Is For and What It Covers
- Who it is for: adults 18 and over who are between three months and two years into recovery.
- What it covers: care coordination, recovery planning, job readiness, job training, employment support, and supportive services that may include transportation, clothing, or IDs. Not rent, and not sober house fees.
- Eligibility: you must live in, or plan within six months to live in, Boston, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield, Holyoke, or Worcester, and you must be referred by an approved referral partner.
- How to apply: through a local coordination agency: the Gavin Foundation (Boston, New Bedford, Worcester) or the Institute for Health and Recovery (Boston, Lowell, Springfield, Holyoke).
Learn more: Access to Recovery (ATR) Sober Living Funding in Massachusetts
Project NORTH: Court Navigators Who Help You Find Sober Housing
Project NORTH stands for Navigation, Outreach, Recovery, Treatment, and Hope, and it does not pay for a sober house bed. It puts a navigator inside a courthouse who helps you find one. The program is run by the Executive Office of the Trial Court and the Massachusetts Probation Service, and it was created with a $6 million U.S. Department of Justice COSSAP award in 2020. It is not a BSAS program.
The useful surprise is how open it is. You do not need an open case and you do not need to be on probation. Navigators accept walk-ins at every Project NORTH courthouse, and they will help with sober housing, treatment, and transportation. The real constraint is geography: navigators sit in five courthouses: Boston, Brockton, Lynn, Springfield, and Worcester.
Who Project NORTH Is For and What It Provides
- Who it is for: anyone using one of the five Project NORTH courthouses. No open case, and no probation supervision, is required.
- What it provides: a navigator who connects you to sober housing, behavioral health treatment, and transportation support. It is care coordination, not a rent payment.
- Eligibility: presence at a participating courthouse. Self-referral and walk-ins are accepted.
- How to use it: walk into the courthouse and ask for the Project NORTH navigator.
Learn more: Project NORTH: Financial Assistance for Sober Living in Massachusetts
RAFT: Emergency Rent and Moving Costs for Massachusetts Households
Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) is the largest open housing-cost program in Massachusetts, It is not a recovery program; it is open to any low-income household. It provides up to $7,000 per 12-month period for rent, utilities, moving costs, and mortgage payments to households under 50% of area median income (50–60% in domestic violence situations).
One caveat matters for sober living: RAFT is household- and landlord-based, and the landlord has to submit their own application within 21 days. Whether a particular sober house counts as the landlord of record is a real question to raise with your Regional Administering Agency before you count on it. Apply through the state’s Housing Help Hub.
Chapter 115: Rent Assistance for Massachusetts Veterans
If you are a veteran, Chapter 115 benefits and the Safety Net Program are the most direct route to help with housing costs, and they are administered locally in every Massachusetts city and town. Chapter 115 explicitly covers rent assistance, daily living expenses, medical costs, and homelessness prevention for eligible low-income veterans.
Apply through the Veterans’ Service Officer in your own city or town rather than through a state office. The Executive Office of Veterans’ Services publishes eligibility and a backstop line at (617) 210-5480. Chapter 115 details on mass.gov.
If you already know which program fits and you need a certified bed in Massachusetts, the fastest route is to apply and let an intake coordinator work the funding with you.
Nonprofit Sober Living Scholarships in Massachusetts
Power Forward: The First Weeks of Sober Housing, Paid
Power Forward pays for the first three to six weeks of sober housing in Massachusetts, and it pays the home rather than the resident. It is Massachusetts only, and it only funds MASH-certified homes it already has a relationship with. Its own site is explicit that it does not provide scholarships to homes outside that list. It aims to respond to applications within 12 hours.
Who it is for and what it covers:
- Who it is for: people in early recovery in Massachusetts who need help affording sober living.
- What it covers: the first three to six weeks of housing at a partner home. Power Forward does not publish a dollar figure.
- Eligibility: Massachusetts only, and the home must be a MASH-certified Power Forward partner.
- How to apply: through the Power Forward scholarship page.
Herren Project: Seven Weeks of Recovery Housing Plus a Coach
The Herren Project Recovery Housing Scholarship covers seven weeks of rent at a vetted sober house on a declining scale: the full cost for weeks one through four, then 75% in week five, 50% in week six, and 25% in week seven. It also pairs the housing with a recovery coach for six months. The program is national, not Massachusetts-specific, and a person is eligible once every two years.
Who it is for and what it covers:
- Who it is for: people currently enrolled in an addiction treatment program anywhere in the United States who are moving into sober living.
- What it covers: seven weeks of rent on the taper above, plus an assigned Herren Project recovery coach for six months.
- Eligibility: current treatment enrollment, a referral from a case manager or counselor (or existing Herren Project client status), a sponsor, an aftercare plan, and willingness to work with the assigned coach. Eligible once every two years.
- How to apply: online through Herren Project. Applications are reviewed weekly, and funding limits mean not all are approved.
Learn more about the Herren Project at our article dedicated to this helpful funding program.
Curran’s Calling: Move-In and Room-and-Board Scholarships
Curran’s Calling pays up to one month of room and board at a vetted recovery residence, in two payments: the first covers move-in costs and the first and last week’s rent, and the second covers the remaining room and board once a recipient completes 30 days. Money goes directly to a home on the foundation’s partner list, so you need to be accepted by a partner home first. Awards are made twice a month and a decision can take up to three weeks.
Who it is for and what it covers:
- Who it is for: people in early recovery moving from treatment into structured sober living in Massachusetts. The foundation says it plans to expand into New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
- What it covers: up to one month of room and board, in two payments, the second contingent on completing 30 days. Partial scholarships are available.
- Eligibility: acceptance by a home on the Curran’s Calling recovery partner list, plus the foundation’s criteria for financial need and program engagement.
- A separate award, and it is invite-only: the Darrin J. McCullough Independent Living Scholarship pays up to $3,000 toward first and last month’s rent and sometimes a security deposit, but it is offered by invitation to prior Recovery Scholarship recipients only. You cannot apply for it directly.
The Sunrise Fund: First Month’s Rent in an Approved Sober House
The Sunrise Fund pays the first month’s rent in a Sunrise Fund–approved sober house. Established in memory of Jillian Latham, the fund requires Massachusetts residency, prioritizes the North Shore depending on available money, and requires that applicants be actively working a 12-step program with a sponsor.
One eligibility rule deserves to be quoted rather than paraphrased, because it rules out a large number of people in recovery. The fund’s published criteria require applicants to be “free of all substances and not on any MAT (suboxone/Methadone/Benzos).” If you take medication for opioid or alcohol use disorder, this fund is not open to you, and the programs above that do not carry that restriction are the better use of your time.
- Who it is for: Massachusetts residents who have completed residential treatment, are in active treatment, or are willing to pursue it, with the North Shore prioritized.
- What it covers: the first month’s rent at an approved sober house. Further support may be considered based on progress.
- Eligibility: Massachusetts residency, acceptance by an approved partner home, an active 12-step program with a sponsor, no Sunrise funding in the past 12 months, a clinician or case manager recommendation if in a CSS or TSS program, and the substance-free and no-MAT requirement above.
- How to apply: through the Sunrise Fund application, with references and a possible interview. Recipients email a progress update after the first month.
Several of these scholarships only pay homes on their own approved partner list, so being accepted by a specific sober house is often the first step, not the last. Confirm that the home you want is on the funder’s list before you apply.
Faith-Based Financial Assistance for Sober Living
Catholic Charities Boston: Emergency Rent, Utility, and Fuel Assistance
Catholic Charities Boston, legally the Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, provides emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, and heating to households in Eastern Massachusetts. It has no program specifically for sober living, and recovery housing is not mentioned anywhere in its assistance materials. What it can do is relieve the housing and utility pressure that often sits alongside early recovery.
Two limits to know before you call. First, this is the Boston archdiocese only; Catholic Charities Worcester, Springfield, and Fall River are separate agencies with their own programs. Second, its own Living Assistance page currently states that financial assistance is not guaranteed because of limited funding in Norfolk, Suffolk, Plymouth, and Essex counties, which covers most of the offices listed below.
Available Assistance Programs:
- Living Assistance: emergency financial aid to help eligible households stay in their homes and avoid displacement.
- Rental and utility assistance: limited support toward rent, mortgage payments, and utility bills to prevent eviction and shut-offs.
- Emergency fuel assistance: help for households facing a heating emergency.
- Transitional housing support: in specific cases, help moving from a shelter into stable housing, including situations involving safety concerns or domestic violence.
Eligibility Criteria: Eligibility for assistance programs may vary by program and location. In general, Catholic Charities prioritizes individuals and families who:
- Have received utility shut-off notices or court summons for eviction.
- Live in public housing and have been served a notice to quit letter.
- Require emergency fuel assistance to maintain heating.
- Need to relocate due to safety concerns such as domestic violence or transitioning from a shelter.
How to Apply to Catholic Charities Boston
Individuals interested in receiving assistance should follow these steps:
Contact the Nearest Catholic Charities Location: Reach out to the nearest office and request to speak with a Basic Needs Case Manager.
Pre-Screening Process: A case manager will assess your situation and explain available support options and the application process.
Prepare Documentation: Applicants must provide supporting documents, which may include:
- Utility shut-off notices
- Eviction notices
- Proof of income
- Identification (such as a driver’s license or ID card)
Catholic Charities Boston Office Locations
These are the Catholic Charities Boston offices that handle basic-needs requests, with contact details taken from the agency’s own Locations page in August 2026. Numbers published elsewhere on the site are out of date.
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Brockton | Catholic Charities South, 169 Court Street, Brockton, MA 02302 | 508-587-0815 |
| Dorchester | Yawkey Center, 185 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA 02121 | 617-506-6600 |
| Lowell | Catholic Charities Merrimack Valley, 70 Lawrence Street, Lowell, MA 01852 | 978-452-1421 |
| Lynn | Catholic Charities North, 117 North Common Street, Lynn, MA 01902 | 781-593-2312 |
| Salem | Catholic Charities North, 280 Washington Street, Salem, MA 01970 | 978-740-6923 |
Society of St. Vincent de Paul: Parish-Based Emergency Assistance
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul works through local parish conferences rather than a central program, and what it can offer varies by conference. Its Boston-area council describes person-to-person assistance delivered “through intervention, consultation, or often through direct dollar or in-kind service.” There is no published sober-living pathway, no eligibility rules, and no caps, so the only way to know what is available is to contact your nearest conference.
Key Highlights of the St. Vincent de Paul Program:
- Who it is for: individuals and families in financial hardship, regardless of religious affiliation.
- What it covers: short-term emergency aid, which in some conferences includes help with rent or utilities. Terms are set locally and are not published.
- Eligibility: demonstrated need, and residence within a local conference’s service area.
- How to apply: contact the nearest conference and ask about a needs assessment with a Vincentian volunteer. In the Boston area, start at svdpboston.org; the council can be reached at 781-344-3100.
Sober House Funding for Specific Populations
Sober House Funding for Women
Rise Again: One Month’s Rent for Women in Recovery
Rise Again: The Sabrina Best Foundation pays one month’s rent for women in Massachusetts moving from treatment into sober living. Payment goes directly to the sober living organization with documented start and end dates, and the scholarship can be reviewed and extended if it is needed. The home has to be both MASH-certified and Rise Again–approved.
Key Highlights of the Rise Again Program:
- Who it is for: women who are Massachusetts residents and have completed residential treatment or are in active treatment.
- What it covers: the first month’s rent, paid directly to the home, renewable on review.
- Eligibility: acceptance by an approved sober living partner, a clinician or case manager recommendation if in a CSS or TSS program, and no Rise Again assistance in the previous 12 months.
- How to apply: through the Structured Sober Living Scholarship application. The board vets applications with references and a phone call, and recipients check in after two weeks.
Support for Individuals Involved With the Criminal Justice System
Trial Court Reentry Housing for Justice-Involved Residents
Massachusetts does fund sober housing for people leaving incarceration or under supervision, though not under the name it is usually searched for. There is no program called a “probation and parole grant.” The actual funding stream is Reentry Housing, a line the Legislature funds through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative appropriation. The money goes to the Trial Court, is administered by the Massachusetts Probation Service, and is delivered under a contract with Community Resources for Justice.
It is also larger than anything else on this page. The Probation Service’s FY2025 annual report puts a monthly average of 500 to 600 people in this housing in the last quarter of the fiscal year, and 547 people housed in October 2025. Access is through a criminal justice partner, not a public application form.
- Who it is for: justice-involved people on supervision, pre-trial, sentenced to probation, on parole, or releasing from prison without supervision. The Probation Service states that all criminal justice partners have access to this housing support.
- What it covers: short-term sober housing for up to three months through the state appropriation, plus longer-term transitional housing of six months or more.
- Eligibility: justice involvement and a referral from a criminal justice partner: a probation or parole officer, a court, or a reentry coordinator.
- How to access it: ask your probation or parole officer, or a court reentry coordinator, to make the housing referral. There is no application a person submits directly.
Many VSL Chartered homes in Massachusetts accept reentry housing placements, and we can walk a probation or parole officer through the process. Call (844) 762-3747.
Sober House Funding for LGBTQIA+
Release Recovery Foundation: The Nic Pagano LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Fund
The Nic Pagano LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Fund is offered by the Release Recovery Foundation, created after Nic Pagano’s death from fentanyl poisoning in July 2021. One thing to be clear about: Release Recovery is based in New York and the fund itself is based at Caron Treatment Center in Pennsylvania. There is no Massachusetts-specific eligibility, and no Massachusetts nexus. It is included here because it is genuinely open and because LGBTQIA+-specific recovery funding is scarce. More than 30 scholarships have been awarded since the fall of 2021.
Key Highlights of the Release Recovery Foundation Program:
- Who it is for: LGBTQIA+ individuals who need help affording treatment or sober living. A family member may apply on someone’s behalf with their consent.
- What it covers: treatment, sober living, recovery coaching, and clinically recommended aftercare. Applicants without insurance are welcome.
- Eligibility: LGBTQIA+ identity, financial need, and commitment to a recovery program.
- How to apply: through the online form on the Release Recovery Foundation site. It takes 10 to 20 minutes, and a response typically comes in two to five days.
If you are weighing a Massachusetts home while a funding application is in progress, an intake coordinator can hold a conversation about both at once. Call (844) 762-3747 or start an application.
- ✓Conventional, portfolio, and seller financing compared
- ✓When leasing beats buying
- ✓Where grant and settlement money does not apply
How VSL Helps You Navigate Sober Living Funding in Massachusetts
Working out which of these programs you actually qualify for is the hard part, and it is the part the VSL intake team does every day. We know which programs are open this month, which have paused, which will pay a Massachusetts sober house directly, and which will not.
Whether you are working with RAP, a nonprofit scholarship such as Power Forward or Curran’s Calling, a reentry housing referral, or RAFT and Chapter 115 on the general housing side, we can tell you where to start and what the home will need from you.
Why Choose Vanderburgh Sober Living?
- We know what is actually open. Program status changes month to month, and we track it because our own residents depend on it.
- We help with the paperwork. Referrals, assessments, and documentation are where most applications stall.
- The housing is already certified. Most of these programs will only pay a MASH-certified home, and VSL Chartered homes in Massachusetts are certified.
Don’t let financial challenges stand in the way of your recovery. Call (844) 762-3747 to speak with a VSL Intake Coordinator.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sober Living Funding in Massachusetts
Can I get help paying for a sober house in Massachusetts?
Yes. Several programs pay a MASH-certified sober house directly, including Power Forward for the first three to six weeks, Curran’s Calling for up to one month of room and board, Rise Again for women, and the Rent Assistance Program (RAP) when its application is open.
Is the MASH Rent Assistance Program (RAP) accepting applications?
Not as of August 2026. The online RAP application is paused because of application volume, and MASH asks applicants to keep checking rather than calling. RAP pays weekly rent directly to MASH-certified sober homes when the application reopens, so it is worth checking regularly.
Does Access to Recovery (ATR) pay for sober housing in Massachusetts?
No, not any more. ATR is still open and still run by the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, but it now provides care coordination, recovery planning, job readiness and employment support, transportation, clothing, and IDs. It does not pay rent or sober house fees.
Can I get sober housing help if I am on probation or parole in Massachusetts?
Yes, through the Trial Court’s Reentry Housing support, administered by the Massachusetts Probation Service. It covers up to three months of sober housing plus longer-term transitional housing. Access is through a probation or parole officer or a court reentry coordinator, not a public application.
Can I get a sober living scholarship if I take Suboxone or methadone?
Yes, from most programs. Only one on this page excludes it: the Sunrise Fund requires applicants to be “free of all substances and not on any MAT.” RAP, Power Forward, Curran’s Calling, Rise Again, and reentry housing carry no such restriction.
Educational only; not legal, financial, or medical advice. Program terms, amounts, geography, and open or paused status reflect each program’s own published information as of August 2026 and change frequently. Confirm current terms with the program before you rely on them.
Research & Sources
- Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing. (2026). Rent Assistance Program (RAP) application. Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing.
- Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. (2026). Recovery Housing Program (RHP). mass.gov
- Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. (2026). Access to Recovery (ATR). mass.gov
- Massachusetts Executive Office of the Trial Court. (2026). About Project NORTH. mass.gov
- Massachusetts Probation Service. (2025). FY2025 annual report (Reentry Housing). mass.gov
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (2026). Apply for RAFT: emergency help for housing costs. mass.gov
- Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services. (2026). Chapter 115 benefits and the Safety Net Program. mass.gov
- Catholic Charities Boston. (2026). Living assistance. ccab.org
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2026). Recovery housing: Funding sources and financial sustainability – insights from NARR-certified recovery residences (PEP26-08-001). library.samhsa.gov
