Jobs, Friends & Houses: How a Social Enterprise Model Is Transforming Recovery in the UK
Blackpool, England: The recovery landscape is evolving. One of the most innovative examples comes from a UK-based initiative called Jobs, Friends & Houses (JFH), a social enterprise that combines employment, community reintegration, and sober housing into one powerful model for long-term recovery.
Founded with the goal of reducing relapse and increasing community support for individuals in recovery, JFH offers a model worth studying, especially for recovery housing providers, treatment professionals, and policymakers around the world.
Negative Recovery Capital: The Problem in Blackpool
In addiction recovery, recovery capital refers to the personal, social, and environmental resources a person can draw upon to achieve and sustain sobriety. However, many people face negative recovery capital (a lack of employment, unstable housing, and social stigma) which acts as a barrier to progress.
In Blackpool, these barriers were especially entrenched due to high unemployment and low-quality housing. JFH set out to disrupt this cycle by offering an integrated pathway to recovery that included:
- Skilled job training
- Meaningful employment
- Attractive, stable housing
- A sense of purpose and visibility in the community
How the Jobs, Friends & Houses Social Enterprise Model Works
Jobs, Friends & Houses is a for-profit social enterprise, meaning it uses business strategies to create positive social outcomes while still generating revenue. But unlike traditional charities or treatment centers, JFH does not provide direct addiction treatment. Instead, it partners with local treatment providers while focusing on recovery support through employment and housing.
Here’s how it works:
- Skilled tradespeople in recovery (e.g., electricians, carpenters, chefs) serve as mentors and trainers.
- Trainees in early recovery work alongside them, learning skills and building work experience.
- Together, they renovate or build safe, attractive homes to be used as recovery housing.
This strategy reduces stigma, supports reintegration, and builds what researchers call positive social contagion, a culture of recovery that spreads through community involvement.
Jobs, Friends & Houses Research Findings
A qualitative study led by David Best, a prominent addiction researcher, explored JFH’s early impact. Through structured interviews with 11 participants, two in-depth stakeholder interviews, and a community resource mapping exercise, the research found:
- Participants reported higher self-esteem, purpose, and social connection.
- The program had strong ties to official treatment services, mutual aid networks, and recreation programs.
- JFH’s community visibility and hands-on engagement made recovery more acceptable and visible, reducing stigma and building trust.
Though still early, the JFH model demonstrated strong potential for sustainable recovery and social reintegration.
Jobs, Friends & Houses pairs skilled tradespeople in recovery with trainees who renovate the homes that become recovery housing. Early research found participants gained self-esteem, purpose and social connection, though the pilot was small and did not track long-term outcomes.
Building Recovery Capital Beyond Abstinence
Traditional recovery focuses on clinical goals: abstinence, therapy attendance, and mental health stabilization. But lasting recovery requires more.
JFH addresses the full spectrum of recovery capital by helping individuals:
- Build a support network (friends)
- Reenter the workforce with dignity (jobs)
- Secure housing in a healing environment (houses)
By embedding recovery in the heart of the community, the model transforms how people view addiction, recovery, and those in the process of rebuilding their lives.
Limitations and Future Research Needs
While the study offers compelling insights, it also notes limitations:
- As a qualitative pilot, it doesn’t provide long-term outcome data.
- The participant pool was small and localized.
- Broader community-level impact metrics are not yet established.
The researchers call for future evaluations that can:
- Assess long-term effects on relapse, employment, and community engagement
- Develop standardized metrics for the impact of recovery-based social enterprises
- Explore scalability across different demographics and urban settings
Implications for the U.S. Recovery Housing Landscape
Though JFH is based in the UK, its model has strong implications for recovery housing and sober living providers in the United States.
What JFH Means for Families and Individuals
JFH shows how peer-led, work-integrated housing can enhance recovery. While still new, this model offers a visible, empowering alternative to traditional sober homes. The concept may be especially attractive for people transitioning from treatment who are ready to engage with real-world responsibilities and purpose.
What JFH Means for Recovery Housing Providers
Consider how your own home environment might:
- Incorporate employment training or partnerships
- Increase community visibility
- Create stronger ties to local mutual aid and clinical programs
What JFH Means for Treatment Professionals
JFH isn’t a treatment program, but its integration with clinical services shows how treatment centers can extend care pathways into housing and work environments. Recovery doesn’t stop at discharge. It continues where people live and work.
What JFH Means for Policymakers
JFH is not a charity, but a self-sustaining social enterprise. With the right partnerships and initial investment, such programs can:
- Boost local economies
- Reduce long-term social service costs
- Promote safer, more stable communities
Frequently Asked Questions About the Jobs, Friends & Houses Model
What is recovery capital?
Recovery capital is the personal, social and environmental resources a person can draw on to start and sustain recovery, such as a job, stable housing and supportive relationships. Negative recovery capital is the opposite: unemployment, unstable housing and stigma that make sobriety harder to maintain.
What is Jobs, Friends & Houses?
Jobs, Friends & Houses is a for-profit social enterprise based in Blackpool, England. Skilled tradespeople in recovery train people in early recovery, and together they renovate or build homes that become recovery housing. The model combines employment, peer connection and sober housing in one program.
Does Jobs, Friends & Houses provide addiction treatment?
No. JFH does not provide direct addiction treatment. It partners with local treatment providers and focuses on recovery support through employment and housing. The early study found the program had strong ties to official treatment services, mutual aid networks and recreation programs in the community.
What did research on the JFH model find?
A qualitative study led by addiction researcher David Best, published in 2016, found that participants reported higher self-esteem, purpose and social connection. The study drew on interviews with 11 participants and two stakeholders, so it was small and did not measure long-term relapse or employment outcomes.
Can U.S. sober living homes use parts of this model?
Yes. U.S. sober living operators can borrow parts of the model by adding employment training or job partnerships, raising the home’s visibility in the community, and building stronger ties with local mutual aid groups and clinical programs. None of these steps requires changing the home’s peer-supported structure.
Want to Support Recovery? Start With Safe Housing.
At Vanderburgh Sober Living, we believe recovery is more than abstinence. It’s about rebuilding a meaningful life. We offer peer-supported sober living homes designed to foster responsibility, connection, and transformation.
Visit our Sober House Directory to explore homes that align with your values. Ask questions, verify standards, and choose the recovery environment that works for you.
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Visit www.vanderburghhouse.com. Your journey to support recovery starts here.
Cited Study:
Best, D., Beswick, T., Hodgkins, S., & Idle, M. (2016). Recovery, ambitions, and aspirations: An exploratory project to build a recovery community by generating a skilled recovery workforce. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 34(1), 3–14.
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Source:
Recovery Research Institute – Jobs, Friends & Houses Overview
Research & Sources
- Best, D. (2019). What do you need to recover? Jobs, Friends and Houses. In Pathways to recovery and desistance: The role of the social contagion of hope (pp. 49–66). Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.51952/9781447349310.ch003
- Best, D., Beswick, T., Hodgkins, S., & Idle, M. (2016). Recovery, ambitions, and aspirations: An exploratory project to build a recovery community by generating a skilled recovery workforce. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 34(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2016.1113105
- Cloud, W., & Granfield, R. (2008). Conceptualizing recovery capital: Expansion of a theoretical construct. Substance Use & Misuse, 43(12–13), 1971–1986. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826080802289762
- Recovery Research Institute. (2017). Jobs, Friends & Houses follow up: History, rationale & business model. https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/jobs-friends-houses-follow-up-history-rationale-business-model/
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2023). Best practices for recovery housing (Publication No. PEP23-10-00-002). https://library.samhsa.gov/product/best-practices-recovery-housing/pep23-10-00-002
