Questions and answers

Fill in the form on the apply page. It asks for your name, a way to reach you, the county you would like to be in, and when you could move. Then we talk.

Yes. Smart Step is housing and peer support, not medical care — we cannot detox anyone and we do not have medical staff. If you are still using, tell us anyway. We will be straight with you about what needs to happen first.

Not automatically. Many residents come to us through a court or after time inside. We talk about what happened and whether this house can keep everyone in it safe, including you. Some histories we cannot take, and we will tell you honestly rather than string you along.

Yes. Residents who take physician-prescribed medication as part of their recovery are welcome, and we do not turn people away on that basis. Medication goes in the secure storage we provide and you take it yourself.

Always. Touring the home before move-in is a requirement of our own process. Nobody moves into a Smart Step residence sight unseen.

We operate in {{SERVICE AREA — COUNTIES AND STATE}}. The application asks which county you would prefer. If we cannot house you, we will say so and try to point you somewhere that can.

{{WHICH HOMES SERVE MEN, WOMEN, OR BOTH}}

{{CHILDREN AND FAMILY POLICY}} Ask us before you make plans — we will tell you exactly what is possible.

{{PET POLICY}}

A weekly program fee of $250, due weekly in advance, plus a one-time move-in fee of $150. You are told both numbers before you sign anything.

Housing, utilities, and the running of the program. It is not a charge for a particular room — it is your part of keeping the program going, which is why it is a program fee and why your agreement is an occupancy agreement rather than a housing contract for a unit.

Talk to us before it is due, not after. A hard week with a plan is something we work with. Going quiet week after week is not — that is program noncompliance and it can end your agreement.

No. Smart Step is not a medical provider, so there is nothing to bill. Residents pay the program fee directly.

There is no fixed end date decided in advance. Your occupancy runs alongside your participation in the program. People move on when work, savings, and stability make somewhere of their own possible — that is the aim.

Yes, and most residents do. This is a home, not a lock-down. You come and go for work, meetings, appointments, and family, within curfew and check-in.

Written rules every resident signs: sobriety on and off the premises, random drug and alcohol screening, curfew and check-in, chores, required meetings, and treating residents, staff, and neighbours with respect. They are versioned, so if they change you see the new version and sign again.

Yes, for safety, standards, or maintenance. Shared recovery housing does not come with a private right to a room, and you agree to that when you sign. Beds and rooms can also be reassigned.

It depends on what happens next. Drugs or alcohol on the premises, violence, threats, or weapons end an agreement immediately — that is what keeps the house safe for everyone else. Other noncompliance carries 24 hours' notice. Coming to us first, before it becomes a crisis, is always the better path.

Belongings left behind are stored for seven days.

Only if you have signed a dated release saying we may, and only what that release covers. You can withdraw it in writing. Without an active release, a court coordinator sees nothing about you.

That is yours to share. Residents also agree not to disclose who they met in the house or anyone else's recovery status. It protects everybody, including you.

A signed release from the person you are referring. The referral form asks you to confirm you hold one, and we record that confirmation with the referral.

Possibly. We work with property owners to keep good homes in service as well-run affordable housing. Start a conversation.

Smart Step Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 33-1822772. We are not your tax adviser, so check how your particular gift is handled with yours. Give to Smart Step.

Ask us on the contact page and tell us what you have in mind.