About this Sober House
The Retreat is a coed sober living residence on Wayzata Boulevard East in Wayzata, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. Men and women are housed separately across the organization's Lake Minnetonka campus, which holds eighty beds in total.
Gender-Separated Housing on One Wayzata Campus
The Retreat keeps its coed designation grounded in practice: men and women live in separate buildings on the same property, with shared programming space but single-gender sleeping arrangements throughout. That structure lets the organization serve both populations without compromising on privacy or on the single-gender rule most residents expect from sober housing.
A Structured Program of Meetings and Service
Residents commit to a minimum of six months and to at least four Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week, on top of group discussions, Twelve Step education, family conferences and meditation built into the program. Full-time employment, participation in house meetings and Big Book study, and a weekly service obligation round out the expectations, and residents are required to keep current on their bills throughout their stay. That is a heavier structure than a typical sober house, closer to a long-term recovery community than a rooming arrangement.
Minnesota Sober Home Certification and This Campus
Certification through the Minnesota Association of Sober Homes is voluntary in Minnesota. The Retreat's sober living houses in Saint Paul hold it; the Wayzata campus is a different kind of site, a self-contained residential program with its own published six-month model, and it is listed here on that basis. A resident weighing the campus against a certified house should ask the same questions certification puts in writing: what the fee covers, what the house rules are, and what happens after a relapse.
Recovery Housing on Lake Minnetonka
Wayzata sits on the north shore of Lake Minnetonka in Hennepin County, whose seat is Minneapolis, a short drive to the east. The setting is deliberately removed from the density of the city, giving residents a quieter environment for the six-month commitment the program asks of them while keeping Minneapolis and its outpatient and specialty treatment network reachable when needed.
Who The Retreat's Wayzata Residences Suit
The six-month minimum and the weekly meeting and service requirements point to a resident who has already been through detox or initial treatment and is ready for a longer-term structured recovery commitment beyond a short bridge back to independent living. Anyone looking for a brief stay or a lighter touch will find a different kind of sober house a better match.
Applying to The Retreat in Wayzata
Applications go through The Retreat directly. Worth confirming before committing: current bed availability by gender, what the program covers financially, and how the six-month minimum and weekly service obligation are structured in practice.
By becoming more connected with sober living, MN residents, and people from all over the world are given the opportunity of time, structure, and support that's essential to building a strong foundation of recovery. We understand the importance of structure and support, which is why we've developed our transitional, self-governing sober living facilities for both men and women.
We operate six long-term self-governing sober living facilities for men and women to work closely with sponsors and create a safe and supportive environment while establishing a strong foundation for recovery. Men and women are housed separately across 80 beds but are encouraged to work together as a community and support each other on their journey to recovery. As guests transition out of the residential program, they'll have an established network of support, which is crucial to the success of long-term recovery.
