For the past few months, I’ve been busy interviewing, researching and combing through massive volumes of records in preparation for several future installments. Upcoming articles will dive deeper into key issues permeating Metro Richmond’s recovery housing industry:
- Evictions
- Resident labor
- Sexual harassment and predatory behaviors
- The intersection of Medicaid and sober living — exploitative and potentially illegal business practices
- Housing conditions
- Family members’ experiences with misleading advertising
- And more
These articles will include stories from sources I’ve spoken with as early as mid-2022 and as recently as this week.
Reporting on Virginia’s sober home hot spot is a slow and tedious process. But the project is never on pause.
For the next few months — with the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session quickly approaching — I will prioritize covering legislation related to recovery housing.
Under consideration so far for 2025 is House Bill 646. Sponsored by state Delegate Carrie Coyner (R-Chesterfield) on behalf of the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR), this bill would require localities to treat certified recovery residences the same as single-family residential homes. It would prohibit local zoning ordinances from imposing permit requirements, occupancy limits or any “conditions more restrictive than those imposed on residences occupied by persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption.”
Zoning for recovery residences is a hotly debated issue nationwide, where ambiguous federal housing laws, “Not-in-my-backyard-(NIMBY)-ism,” interests of sober homes operators, and community concerns for both neighborhood safety and the welfare of sober home residents collide.
I would like to hear from legal experts, recovery house operators, recovery house residents and community members on this issue. Please reach out to me if you’d like to weigh in as I prepare to cover Coyner’s bill.
Dec. 2024 Update: Coyner’s bill, which had been continued from the 2024 session, was left in the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns on Nov. 18. The bill also failed to earn an endorsement from the Virginia Housing Commission, as Coyner’s workgroup was unable to reach consensus on necessary amendments.
But some version of Coyner’s proposed legislation is likely to resurface, so I’m still preparing to explore the topic in depth. If you’d like to share your perspective, please reach out.
Scroll below to view investigative stories in The Parham Papers series, or visit the homepage to explore all articles, including legislative updates.
stay on it !!!