Huntington Beach cracks down on illegal sober living facilities

City creates reporting tool for residents to flag unlicensed operations

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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The city of Huntington Beach, California has taken steps to address the proliferation of illegal sober living facilities within its borders. Between January 2020 and January 2025, the city's Code Enforcement Division received over 290 complaints regarding these unlicensed operations. In response, the city council passed an ordinance requiring sober living facilities to obtain a special use permit, and implemented a reporting tool to help residents flag suspected illegal facilities.

Why it matters

Illegal sober living facilities can pose risks to both residents and surrounding neighborhoods, with reports of violence, overdoses, and other issues at some facilities. By cracking down on unlicensed operations, Huntington Beach aims to ensure sober living homes are properly regulated and operated to protect vulnerable residents in recovery.

The details

Under the new ordinance, if an operator is found breaking the law, they will face a five-year ban before being able to apply to open a facility in the city. The city also created an online tool to help residents report suspected illegal sober living homes. Code Enforcement has identified one operator based in Los Angeles who was running facilities at 16 different addresses in Huntington Beach without the required permits.

  • Between January 2020 and January 2025, the city's Code Enforcement Division received over 290 complaints regarding illegal sober living operations.
  • In February 2026, the Huntington Beach City Council passed an ordinance requiring sober living facilities to have a special use permit to operate.

The players

Huntington Beach Code Enforcement

The city's Code Enforcement Division has been responsible for investigating and addressing complaints about illegal sober living facilities.

Huntington Beach City Council

The city council passed an ordinance requiring sober living facilities to obtain a special use permit in order to operate in Huntington Beach.

Wings of Hope

A sober living facility for women that can house up to 10 residents at a time. The owner, Kimberly O'Donnell, says not all sober living homes are operated with the residents' wellbeing in mind.

David Coolings

A Huntington Beach resident who has noticed many sober living facilities popping up in his neighborhood and is concerned about the lack of oversight and potential for abuse.

Councilmember Don Kennedy

Described an online resource created by the city to help residents report suspected illegal sober living facilities.

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What they’re saying

“They pushed someone off the balcony, there was a stabbing, there was an overdose, that is creating the 'I don't want them near me' mentality.”

— Kimberly O'Donnell, Owner, Wings of Hope sober living facility (Spectrum News 1)

“Just because you have six men living in a home doesn't mean they are good for each other and they are going to recover, that's nonsense, you need to know who is in that house, who is supervising.”

— David Coolings, Huntington Beach resident (Spectrum News 1)

“You start to report that issue and then this is going to alert code enforcement to go out and start a cursory investigation on that address.”

— Councilmember Don Kennedy (Spectrum News 1)

What’s next

Under the new ordinance, if an operator is found breaking the law, they will face a five-year ban before being able to apply to open a facility in Huntington Beach.

The takeaway

This crackdown on illegal sober living facilities in Huntington Beach highlights the need for proper regulation and oversight of these types of recovery homes to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents. The city's new reporting tool empowers residents to be part of the solution in addressing this issue.