TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa rehab center gave the community a first look Thursday at what it says will be a first-of-its-kind sober living community.
“So often, we think of a sober living home as a home. We wanted to build a sober living community,” said Sophros Recovery CEO Nick Padlo.
Padlo said Soteria Recovery Homes is made up of six small residences and includes communal space for meetings. The goal is to create a true community, while also offering clinical guidance and independent living.
“So, this is actually the veterans’ house,” Padlo said as he showed Spectrum News the home designated for former service members.
And from the home’s big couch to the personal, patriotic decor, it’s ready to welcome its first residents.
“I think sometimes, when we are in active addiction, we’ve lost our own self-respect, and we forget that we’re worthy of nice things,” Padlo said.
CEO Nick Padlo said Soteria Recovery Homes is made up of six small residences and includes communal space for meetings. The goal is to create a true community, while also offering clinical guidance and independent living. (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)
Padlo said he speaks from experience.
“For me, rehab wasn’t a choice. It was really life or death,” he said.
Before he became CEO of Sophros Recovery, Padlo says he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction — and, at one point, decided life wasn’t worth living.
“Thankfully, I was able to find a good place to get treatment, and that really changed the course of my life,” Padlo said.
He says his work with Sophros is meant to do the same for others. Soteria Recovery Homes is the latest step in that. According to the Recovery Research Institute, about one-third of people entering addiction treatment report unstable living conditions.
“Some people don’t have housing. Some people have intermittent housing, and some people have toxic houses, right, and toxic relationships,” said Padlo. “Coming to a place like this, you’re going to get a mixture of love and support, along with accountability.”
Padlo said Soteria has space for 33 residents, and they already have a list of people waiting for spots. Padlo said some residents will be referred from different treatment centers, while others may reach out directly to Sophros. (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)
Padlo said Soteria offers shared living spaces for $750 a month. The idea is that residents working a program will stay here while getting back on their feet and also have access to meetings, mental health services, and more. He tells us his team, along with volunteers from Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous, transformed this former apartment complex in just four months.
“It was really just a rundown property. It was one that had been neglected for a really long time, and we wanted to make it new again,” he said.
Thursday, the community got a look at Soteria, but Monday is move-in day.
“I wanted it to feel like the home they never had, right? This is, this the place that should be a place of love, a place of community. A lot of our clients, they didn’t have that to start with,” said Padlo.
According to Padlo, there is a demand in the Tampa Bay area for a community like this. He said Soteria has space for 33 residents, and they already have a list of people waiting for spots. Padlo said some residents will be referred from different treatment centers, while others may reach out directly to Sophros.