Costa Mesa, the world capital of rehab programs, starts restricting facilities

A good friend told me that Costa Mesa has more rehabs per square mile than any other place on Earth.  Certainly, along with Laguna Beach Rehabs, and Newport Beach Rehab Centers, and with sober living homes and other similar programs in Orange County, Palm Springs, and beyond, there are many.

According to the City of Costa Mesa, as of early last year (2014), there were 200 rehabilitation or sober living homes in the city.  25% of all the rehabs and treatment facility, and sober living homes, are all in Costa Mesa.

Costa Mesa in particular has niches catering to specific drugs, drug and alcohol combinations, gay, lesbian, transgender, and transsexual addiction problems, and pregnant addict treatment, among many other niches.

The Orange County Register last week had an article about how the proliferation of drug rehab programs and sober living homes  in residential neighborhoods had caused the Costa Mesa City Council and City Staff to begin both passing laws, and aggressively expanding the new regulations across the city.

According to the article, 84 sober living homes or rehabs have opened in Costa Mesa have opened since January, 2014.  The new laws prohibit sober living homes from moving from one area to another to avoid regulation as well, and require a 650 foot buffer between facilities and require mandatory employee background checks, along with many other rules.  A license is also required by the City of Costa Mesa.

One rehab, Yellowstone Women’s First Step House, had sued Costa Mesa in November 2014, to allege discrimination against addicts.  That lawsuit was dismissed in federal court.

Newport Beach had paid out 5.25 million in settlements, plus spent four million in litigation fighting against three sober living facilities when they had sued the City of Newport Beach to challenge a 2008 law requiring extra scrutiny for rehabilitation homes in Newport Beach.

San Clemente passed a law prohibiting all rehab homes and sober living homes from opening in that city.

Certainly, rehabilitation facilities and sober living homes in Orange County have an important role to play.  Under California law, a rehab or other facility can give credit for jail time, thus both getting addicts or alcoholics, or those facing serious DUI charges, the help they need, and helping to keep them out of jail, and keeping the jails free.  A rehabilitated addict is less likely to offend, and jails do not even attempt to rehabilitate those punished for DUI or other crimes.

Contact our firm if you need the help of an Orange County DUI Attorney.  Our firm, Miller and Associates, can help you.