Hanover House Men's Sober House

About this Sober House

Hanover House is a certified sober living home for men on Hanover Street in Lowell, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County. Riverbend, formerly Lowell House, opened the residence in 2013 and holds NARR Level II certification through the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing for the property.

A Men's Sober House on Hanover Street

Hanover House houses twelve men in recovery in a Lowell neighborhood adjacent to the downtown shopping and business district. Riverbend has run the house for more than a decade, giving it a longer track record in the city than most of the operator's other sober living properties.

What Massachusetts Sober Living Certification Commits an Operator To

Certification through the state's affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences requires Riverbend to publish a code of ethics, disclose fees and house rules in writing before move-in, and maintain a written relapse and discharge policy. It also subjects the house to a complaint process outside the organization itself, which an uncertified landlord renting sober rooms never faces.

Six Months Sober and a Verified Income

Riverbend requires at least six months of sobriety before a man can move into Hanover House, along with proof of income. Both thresholds are higher than the requirements at some of the operator's other houses, and together they describe a resident who has moved past the earliest phase of recovery and is ready to carry a steady share of household costs.

Walking Distance to UMass Lowell's North Campus

Hanover Street sits within walking distance of the University of Massachusetts Lowell's north campus, and the surrounding blocks hold much of downtown Lowell's shopping and business activity. A resident can reach classes, entry-level jobs and errands without needing a car in the early months of rebuilding a routine.

Riverbend's Recovery Homes in Lowell and Methuen

Hanover House is one of four sober living homes Riverbend operates in the Merrimack Valley. Saving Grace, on Harvard Street in Lowell, and Renaissance Home for Women, on Berkley Street in Methuen, both house women, giving the organization coverage of both genders across two cities under one set of expectations.