Transitional living

Transitional living refers to any type of living situation that is transitional. The primary purpose or mission of transitional living environments is to help the resident become a productive member of society. Transitional living facilities often offer low cost housing. Transitional living residents that cater to those recovering from economic hardship often graduate from a shelter to lesser crowded living situation. Transitional Living may or may not have other common threads among residents. Transitional living provides professional support, education, and a stable living environment. Common types of transitional living include transitioning from jail or prison, an addiction treatment center or a mental health facility. Transitional living is provided by many well known private and non profit organizations, by government, churches and other charitable organizations.

Transitional living that caters to people recovering from addiction are often referred to as sober living, 3/4 houses or recovery residences. While traditionally Transitional living facilities were known to cater to people recently released from incarceration, this type of program is most often referred to as a halfway house. Transitional living facilities are now common for people coming our of thirty day residential or inpatient treatment settings who need ongoing intensive therapy while being able to work part time or begin or reintegrate back into school and living a life in recovery. There are many excellent transitional living programs where people with addictions and mental health issues can continue their long term recovery.

The most earnest beginning of Transitional Living began when in 1878 through the "holiness" teaching of William Booth and wife Catherine who began the Whitechapel Christian Mission in London's East End to help feed and house the poor. The mission was reorganized along military lines, with the preachers known as officers and Booth as the general. After this the group became known as the Salvation Army.

The birthing of the "half-way" house concept became popular during the United States great depression which began in 1929. With an enormous increase in the use of alcohol, and introduction of opiates from the Far East and Asiatic countries society in general began to resent the presence of these "drunks" (as they called them) in public. This protest along with the efforts of the Women's suffrage, and like groups, sparked the prohibition by the Federal Government on any alcoholic production, distribution, use or sale. Oddly enough drug use was not a consideration, as a matter of fact it was a largely accepted social practice that permitted use of such drugs as opium and heroin. This "drunks protest" also caused the development of an unofficial industry of half-shod, shanty structures for the intoxicated (see drunkenness) that were given the name "flophouses" where the "proprietor" would charge inflated prices for use of squalor spaces or rooms to allow the renter to find sobriety. This extortion concept of "sobering-up" continued until post World War II.

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