For people in recovery, residential housing facilities can provide a safe environment for their sober transition back into their community.
However, when these facilities are run ineffectively and without oversight, the opposite can happen. Patients can relapse, become homeless, and in extreme cases, die. For far too long, the state’s refusal to implement comprehensive reform has endangered the safety of patients and impacted local communities.
The lack of state oversight has also contributed to an overconcentration of residential recovery programs in certain parts of the state. The five largest counties in Southern California — including Orange County — have nearly eight times as many licensed recovery facilities as the five largest counties in Northern California. Too many facilities in one area can undercut one of the chief appeals of residential treatment programs: rehabilitation and support services in a therapeutic environment that is part of a community.
There are over 300 recovery homes in the Orange County, second in the state to only Los Angeles County despite being a fraction of the size. This data doesn’t even account for the unknown number of unlicensed and unregulated facilities.
The sheer number of these facilities raises valid concerns about the state’s ability to monitor and regulate the thousands of facilities in California. According to The OC Register, there are just under 20 inspectors for the nearly 2,000 rehab centers in the state. And by the state’s own data, the Department of Health Care Services receives nearly 600 complaints against these facilities a year. It takes an average of four months to close each complaint.
The impact in Orange County is overwhelming. In February, a Santa Ana man was arrested for allegedly stabbing his 8-year-old son with a screwdriver while the boy was visiting him at his recovery home. This summer, an Irvine man was arrested on suspicion of killing his sober living facility roommate. Based on The OC Register data analysis on Sheriff’s data, 18 state-licensed facilities in Dana Point prompted over 40 emergency calls in a year, with causes ranging from disturbances to overdoses and mental health crises.
Residents, local officials, and the League of California Cities have called for change for nearly a decade. A bipartisan group of lawmakers – from Orange County in particular – have introduced several legislative solutions over the years. Instead of championing these measures and bringing forth real action, we have witnessed an exhausting trend of policymakers refusing to pass comprehensive reform that protects residents and holds bad actors accountable. And time is of the essence.
The state is rolling out over $6 billion in funding to local governments and non-profits to help support new and existing behavioral health treatment facilities for people experiencing homelessness, including recovery housing. This influx of state funding may lead to an increase in recovery housing facilities and must be paired with increased oversight and accountability — including additional state inspectors — to uphold the safety of both the patient and the community.
This legislative session, local officials, Cal Cities, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle worked together to develop a bipartisan package of recovery housing reform legislation that seeks to ensure drug and alcohol recovery facilities follow state regulations and provide high-quality treatment.
Some of the bills in the package died in the first house but Assemblywoman Davies’ cosponsored bill, AB 2081, was passed by the Legislature and is awaiting action from the Governor. If signed into law, our bill would require all drug or alcohol treatment facilities to disclose to prospective patients if they have violated state law or regulations. This bill is a common-sense step forward that empowers patients to make informed decisions about their health care and upholds the integrity of treatment facilities.
But let us be clear: The state must act soon to stem the tide of years of inaction and make real progress in addressing the lack of transparency, accountability, and oversight of recovery housing facilities.
We are proud partners committed to finding legislative solutions that safeguard every person’s well-being and care — both inside and outside recovery homes. More must be done next legislative session to realize true reform but passing AB 2081 is a critical first step. We urge the Governor to sign the bill into law. This bill is good for our cities, good for our neighbors, and more importantly, good for those who are receiving care.
Assemblywoman Laurie Davies proudly represents the 74th Assembly District, which includes South Orange County, North San Diego County and Camp Pendleton. She serves on the Assembly’s committees for: Military (Vice Chair), Accountability, Transportation (Vice Chair), Communications and Conveyance, Governmental Organization and Water, Parks & Wildlife.
Marshall Goodman is the Mayor of the City of La Palma and Lecturer of Public Policy, State & Local Government, and Ethnic Studies at CSU Long Beach and CSU Fullerton. Mayor Goodman has served on several committees, boards, and councils at the city, county, regional, and state levels–relating to economic and business development; risk management and insurance pools; housing; sanitation; planning; and, local government affairs.
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