More Than 280 of PA’s Recovery Homes Licensed Since Governor Shapiro Took Office, Providing Safe and Supportive Housing for Individuals in Recovery
Through more than 450 licensed, regulated recovery homes, the Shapiro Administration is helping to provide safe, supportive housing for thousands of individuals in recovery in Pennsylvania.
DDAP Newsroom - August 19, 2026
Secretary Dr.Latika Davis-Jones with the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Addiction Center team in front of Ellen’s House, the first state-licensed recovery home designed for women and children in Western Pennsylvania.
Butler, PA - Today, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones announced the Shapiro Administration’s Recovery House Licensure Program(opens in a new tab) has increased the number of licensed recovery houses in Pennsylvania to more than 450 houses—connecting thousands of Pennsylvanians who receive publicly-funded substance use disorder (SUD) care and treatment to safe, family-like, substance-free homes to help in their recovery.
More than 60 percent of licensed houses — 284, to be exact — have become licensed since Governor Josh Shapiro took office, and the current number of licensed houses marks an 11 percent increase in one year.
Recovery houses are non-clinical, which means they do not provide SUD treatment. Instead, they are designed to provide supportive living arrangements where individuals in recovery live together in a structured, peer-to-peer environment that helps them build healthy routines. The purpose of DDAP’s licensure program is to help empower sustained recovery for individuals with SUD by ensuring a network of safe drug and alcohol recovery houses across the Commonwealth.
“Access to stable housing is essential in an individual’s recovery journey—especially for vulnerable populations like women with children,” said Secretary Davis-Jones. “The expanding network of licensed recovery houses reflects the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to ensuring that individuals have a safe, supportive place to live as they transition from treatment into recovery. I encourage all recovery houses to become licensed and join our efforts to support Pennsylvanians through all phases of their recovery.”
Secretary Davis-Jones made the announcement at one of Butler County’s licensed recovery houses, Ellen’s House, which exclusively serves women and children. Ellen’s House provides stable housing for up to 12 women and their children at a time. Since Governor Shapiro has taken office, Ellen’s House has served 72 women and children as residents of the recovery house.