We Who Care in Chattanooga: Peer-Led Recovery Housing for Addiction

We Who Care operates peer-led recovery housing for people in early and sustained recovery from alcohol and substance use in Chattanooga, offering structured, affordable housing alongside employment support and ongoing accountability in a residential community model rather than clinical treatment or outpatient counseling.

What We Who Care actually is

We Who Care runs two houses in Chattanooga where residents maintain sobriety through peer accountability, shared household responsibility, and connection to employment or education. The model assumes that people in recovery benefit from living alongside others committed to the same goal, in an alcohol-free and drug-free environment enforced by house rules and peer agreement. Neither house is a treatment facility; clinical services are referred out. The organization does not provide medical detoxification, medication management, therapy, or psychiatric evaluation in-house. Instead, residents receive the structure of a sober home, access to employment support, and the daily accountability of a household where all members prioritize staying clean.

This distinguishes We Who Care from clinical addiction treatment centers in the Chattanooga area such as Chattanooga Addiction Institute or Hamilton Medical Center's substance use program, where licensed clinicians deliver evidence-based treatment. It also differs from peer support organizations like Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, which meet episodically and offer sponsorship but no residential structure.

Admission, eligibility, and house rules

Admission requires a minimum of 7 to 14 days of sobriety before move-in; applicants actively withdrawing, on prescribed medication for opioid use disorder (such as methadone or buprenorphine), or acutely suicidal are typically referred to clinical treatment first. We Who Care residents must maintain full-time employment or enroll in school within 30 days of arrival. Houses enforce a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol, illegal drugs, and non-prescribed controlled substances. Positive drug screens result in termination of residency. Rent covers utilities and a portion of operating costs; pricing varies slightly by house and occupancy level but runs approximately $400 to $500 per month. Verify current pricing and availability by contacting the organization directly, as occupancy fluctuates.

We Who Care also requires 12-step meeting attendance or an alternative recovery structure (such as SMART Recovery); many houses expect 3 to 5 meetings per week, though specific requirements differ by residence.

How We Who Care fits among Chattanooga recovery options

People finishing a 28-day or 90-day inpatient program at Chattanooga Addiction Institute or another treatment center often step down to sober housing to consolidate recovery in a low-barrier, affordable setting. Clinical programs address acute medical and psychiatric needs; We Who Care does not. For someone with stable recovery and employable skills who needs affordable housing and peer structure, sober housing is less expensive than extended residential treatment and more structured than independent living. For someone still in active withdrawal, newly diagnosed with depression or anxiety, or unable to sustain employment, a clinical program is the correct step before or alongside sober housing.

The Chattanooga Housing Authority and other nonprofit housing in the area offer low-cost residential placement but without recovery-specific programming or peer accountability. We Who Care explicitly organizes around recovery, making it suited to residents actively committed to staying sober and willing to participate in group accountability.

Who we Who Care suits and who it does not

We Who Care works best for people who have already stabilized in recovery (completed detoxification, resolved acute medical crises, confirmed motivation to abstain) and need an affordable, structured place to live while rebuilding employment and social connection. It suits employed residents, full-time students, and people working toward employment within 30 days. It does not suit active users, people still acutely intoxicated or withdrawing, individuals unable or unwilling to maintain employment, or people who need daily clinical oversight of medications or psychiatric symptoms. Those on medication-assisted treatment may be admitted but are expected to attend meetings and maintain all other house expectations; confirm with the specific house whether residents on stable buprenorphine or naltrexone are currently accepted.

First visit and intake process

Initial contact is typically by phone or referral from an outpatient provider, case manager, or aftercare coordinator from a treatment program. Applicants tour the house, review house rules, and discuss employment status and recovery timeline. A staff member or senior resident conducts a brief interview to assess readiness and sobriety. Most houses require a urine drug screen on intake or shortly thereafter and again regularly throughout residency. Rent is due weekly or monthly, depending on the house; a security deposit is not standard at most We Who Care houses, though confirmation with the specific residence is required.

Residents are expected to participate in household chores, contribute financially, and engage with house members daily. Many houses have a house manager or senior resident coordinator who enforces rules and mediates conflicts.

Hours, contact, and location

We Who Care operates its two Chattanooga houses as 24-hour residential addresses. The organization can be reached through a main phone line; specific addresses and house managers' contact information are provided after intake screening to prevent traffic or unauthorized visits. Parking is residential; street or driveway space is available but not guaranteed. No walk-in admissions; all prospective residents must call for an appointment and discuss readiness before visiting.

We Who Care fills a practical gap in Chattanooga's recovery continuum: it bridges the cost and structure gap between expensive clinical housing and no housing support at all, and it offers peer accountability in the city where affordable, recovery-focused sober housing remains limited.