Another Lexington sober living home has shut down, operator being investigated
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Second illegal Great Neighbors sober living home in Lexington shut after utilities cut.
- State finds homes unlicensed; Cabinet reviewing next steps with operator.
- Ordinance requires state licensing/certification, caps residents at eight, effective May.
A second illegal Lexington sober living home has closed after residents reported there was no electricity or water.
The home in the 700 block of Florence Avenue was run by Great Neighbors, which also operated a home on Buckhorn Drive. That home was shut down by state officials the week of Nov. 24 after residents also complained power and water had been cut off.
Residents at the Florence Avenue home said power was shut off Dec. 2.
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which oversees sober living homes, said staff with Great Neighbors told state officials the home closed Dec. 1. Residents of the home told the Herald-Leader they moved out late last week.
The homes on Buckhorn and Florence were not licensed or certified by the state, said Kendra Steele, a spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Additionally, a third home on Breckenridge Street operated by Great Neighbors also is not certified by the state, Steele said, but appears to still be in operation as of Tuesday. Sober living homes are often utilized by people who are leaving in-patient treatment. Medicaid, a federal and state insurance program for the poor and disabled, can be billed for many sober living services.
Officials with Great Neighbors could not be located for comment.
“Our team provided guidance once again to the operator that under KRS 222.502, any sober living or recovery home operating in Kentucky must hold valid certification or be in an approved provisional period,” Steele said.
“If a residence is operating without certification or is unable to maintain safe living conditions, the department can take action up to and including requiring the operator to cease operations,” she said. “Given its ongoing issues, the department is currently reviewing the appropriate next steps with regard to this operator.”
Lexington sober living regulations take effect in May
The proliferation of sober living homes prompted the city of Lexington to pass an ordinance in November requiring the homes to be licensed or certified by the state in addition to being licensed by the city.
The local ordinance also limits the number of people in a recovery home to eight. The city passed the ordinance after receiving repeated complaints from neighborhoods about sober living homes popping up with no notice.
Some neighbors have complained that the homes have little or no oversight. Others have questioned if the homes are monitoring residents’ sobriety.
Operators and those who live in recovery homes say the model has helped them stay sober and return to work.
The new ordinance, passed by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council on Nov. 20, has a six-month grace period to allow recovery residences to come into compliance. The local rules will take effect in May.
