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Residents, operators urge Riverside council to reject proposed limits on sober-living homes
Summary
Dozens of residents, recovery program participants and operators told the Riverside City Council that proposed spacing and owner restrictions on sober-living homes would force closures, reduce access to recovery housing and push people back onto the streets.
Dozens of people told the Riverside City Council during the public-comment period that new spacing, owner and occupancy rules being discussed could close many sober‑living homes and harm people in recovery.
Speakers who introduced themselves as residents, managers and owners of sober‑living facilities said the homes provide a critical, structured step for people leaving incarceration or treatment. "Si toma nuestras casas de vida sobria, toma la esperanza," said Ronald Martin, who identified himself as a manager of a sober‑living home (first referenced in SEG 678). Several speakers described long periods of sobriety and credited sober‑living homes with helping them find work, rebuild family ties and avoid relapse.
Why it matters: Speakers said the proposed ordinance’s spacing limits and other regulatory requirements would raise operating costs or limit the number of residents such that owners could no longer afford to run homes. Operators warned closures would reduce the city’s capacity to house people in recovery and increase homelessness and public‑safety risks.
Several witnesses framed the issue as legal as well as practical. Chrissy Kuller, who identified herself as in recovery and as co‑manager of multiple homes, said the homes are protected by federal and state accommodation laws and that the proposed restrictions would create barriers to recovery access. "La vida sobria me dio más que un techo," Kuller said (first referenced in SEG 256), describing the homes as providing structure, community and a bridge to independent living.
What speakers asked the council to do: Commenters urged the council to preserve access to sober living by rejecting strict spacing/owner rules, to consider funding and oversight alternatives that support operators, and to coordinate with county and state programs rather than imposing new constraints. Multiple operators described high local costs for property, insurance and taxes as factors that already strain small providers.
Council response and next steps: The remarks occurred during public comment; the transcript does not record a final council vote or adoption of an ordinance on sober‑living rules during this meeting. Staff and councilmembers did not take a final action on that ordinance in the recorded segments; the council proceeded to other items on the agenda after public comment closed. The issue remains on the public record for subsequent council discussion.
