About this Sober House
Saving Grace is a certified sober living home for women on Harvard Street in Lowell, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County. Riverbend, formerly Lowell House, opened the residence in 2007 and holds NARR Level II certification through the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing for the property.
A Women's Sober House on Harvard Street
Saving Grace is a large Victorian house in a quiet Lowell neighborhood, with public transportation nearby. Thirteen women live there at a time, and the setting favors residents who want a settled, residential address.
What "Permanent" Sober Housing Means Here
Riverbend describes Saving Grace as permanent sober housing, and that framing changes what a resident should expect. There is no built-in exit date tied to a graduate house or a fixed program length. A woman can stay as long as she keeps meeting the house's expectations, which suits someone who has already cycled through shorter placements and wants an address she can hold onto.
What Massachusetts Sober Living Certification Establishes
Certification through the state's affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences requires Riverbend to publish a code of ethics, disclose fees and rules in writing before move-in, and keep a written relapse and discharge policy on file. It also puts the house inside a complaint process a resident's family can use if something goes wrong.
Six Months Sober and a Verified Income
Move-in at Saving Grace requires six months of sobriety and proof of income, the same threshold Riverbend sets at its other Lowell house. Both conditions describe a resident who is past the highest-risk early weeks and ready to hold a steady share of the household's costs for as long as she stays.
Riverbend's Recovery Homes in Lowell and Methuen
Saving Grace is one of four sober living homes Riverbend runs in the Merrimack Valley. Hanover House, also in Lowell, houses men, and Renaissance Home for Women, on Berkley Street in Methuen, gives the organization a second women's address outside the city.
Saving Grace provides permanent sober housing for women. This large Victorian house located in a quiet residential neighborhood is close to public transportation. Some of the criteria for residency are having 6-months sober time pre-admission, evidence of an active individualized recovery plan, proof of income, and a willingness to abide by house rules and be an active participant in the sober living community.
The mission of Lowell House Addiction Treatment and Recovery (LHATR) Sober Houses is to provide a physically and emotionally safe, secure, and respectful home environment to foster an alcohol and drug-free lifestyle for all members. Each LHATR Sober Home is a group of individuals who share a common desire to stay clean and sober, a commitment to honoring the house rules and participating in the house decision-making process. Sober housing is an option that offers individuals peer-to-peer support to maintain long-term recovery.
