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Insights: What Is a Three-Quarter House? How a 3/4 House Differs From a Halfway House

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By Sober House Directory · Published October 26, 2026 · Last updated October 26, 2026

A three-quarter house, or 3/4 house, is shared housing for people who have left treatment, jail, prison or a halfway house and still need a cheap, sober place to live. It is a step past a halfway house: less supervision, no set end date, and usually no staff. The term is most common in New York City, where city officials describe three-quarter houses as unlicensed and unregulated. If you are searching for one, look at NYC sober homes or your own state's page in this directory, where the same kind of home is listed as a sober house or recovery residence.

Where the name comes from

The name describes where the house sits on the way home. A halfway house is the supervised middle step between an institution and living on your own. A three-quarter house is the next step after that. New York's Attorney General explained the term this way in 2019: "'Three-quarter' reflects that many of the clients had been released from incarceration but had not yet secured housing."

Three-quarter house vs. halfway house

The two get mixed up, but they work differently.

  • Who places you. A halfway house placement is usually arranged by a prison system, a parole or probation office, or a court. You can rent a room in a three-quarter house on your own.
  • Supervision. Halfway houses have staff who enforce the terms of your release or program. Three-quarter houses usually have little or no staff.
  • Length of stay. Halfway house stays have an end date. The federal Bureau of Prisons, for example, places people in its halfway houses for up to 12 months. Three-quarter houses have no fixed end date.
  • Who pays. A federal halfway house resident who works pays a fee of 25% of gross income, with the rest covered by the government contract. In New York City, many three-quarter house residents pay rent out of public assistance.
  • Oversight. Federal halfway houses run under Bureau of Prisons contracts, and some states license their own. New York City describes its three-quarter houses as unlicensed.

For a full comparison with sober living, read how a halfway house differs from sober living.

Three-quarter houses in New York City

New York City is where the term is used most, and where the problems were documented most clearly. A city task force report from 2018 described three-quarter houses as "unlicensed and unregulated buildings, generally two- or three-family homes." The people living in them included those discharged from psychiatric or substance use treatment, people returning from jail or prison, and people on public assistance whose rent was paid through a $215 state-set shelter allowance.

In 2015 a New York Times investigation drew attention to overcrowded, unregulated three-quarter houses whose operators profited from residents struggling with addiction and mental illness. The city formed an interagency task force in June 2015 to inspect the houses and help residents move.

The city then changed the law. Among the local laws signed on February 15, 2017:

  • Local Law 15 of 2017 makes it unlawful to require an occupant to seek or receive medical treatment as a condition of living there. State-licensed treatment programs are exempt. An occupant can sue and recover damages or $1,000, plus attorney's fees.
  • Local Law 12 of 2017 requires the city to give people applying for rental subsidies a written notice of their protections against unlawful eviction under the city's Administrative Code.

In 2019 the director of one three-quarter house operator pleaded guilty to giving homeless clients cheap housing on the condition that they get treatment only from his organization, then billing Medicaid for it, according to the New York Attorney General.

Is a three-quarter house the same as sober living?

They overlap. A sober living home, also called a recovery residence, is a sober shared house where residents pay rent and follow house rules, with no fixed end date. The difference that matters is quality and oversight. A well-run sober home follows written standards, such as those set by the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), and many states certify homes that meet them. NARR does not certify homes itself; its state affiliates do.

So rather than searching for the label, look for these signs of a good home:

  • A written agreement that lists all fees, rules and the refund policy before you pay.
  • No requirement to attend one particular treatment program to keep your bed.
  • No offer of free rent in exchange for your insurance or Medicaid card.
  • A clear way to raise a complaint, and certification from your state's program if your state has one.

How to find a 3/4 house near you

The Sober House Directory does not use the label "three-quarter house." Search your state's sober living listings instead and filter by gender and certification. In New York, start with New York sober homes. Elsewhere, pick your state from the States menu.

If you are leaving jail, prison or a halfway house, ask your parole or probation officer which addresses they will approve before you sign anything. Our guide to finding halfway houses near you covers referrals through parole, the courts and on your own.

Ready to move in?

Look for a sober home with written rules, someone accountable for the house and no treatment strings attached. Apply to Vanderburgh Sober Living, where every home has a house mentor, or browse certified homes in your state.

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