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Officials in Boulder are restoring access to free rehab for some of its most vulnerable residents. The city’s 11-bed recovery home — offered at essentially no cost to clients — reopened May 1, 2026 under Hazelbrook Recovery to give homeless adults with substance use disorders a place to begin treatment without worrying about the bill.
Colorado already features a wide range of programs for those impacted by substance use disorders. Many outpatient and residential services offer sliding-fee scales or accept subsidized insurance providers. For Boulder residents, Hazelbrook provides a clear path to a sober future without having to leave the local community.
The new building is located on Pearl Street. The original owners closed in September 2025 due to challenges with funding. Hazelbrook, based in Aurora and founded in 2016, stepped in to take over the program.
Getting Free or Low-Cost Treatment on Pearl Street
The program targets homeless adults who misuse substances, as well as folks transitioning out of incarceration. For those without insurance or are on strict budgets, Hazelbrook offers a no-cost entry point into residential treatment.
The program isn’t funded through government grants alone. Hazelbrook is expected to pay for operations primarily through Medicaid and other insurance reimbursement, meaning clients who qualify for Medicaid can access care without out-of-pocket costs. Boulder officials are dedicated to keeping the barriers to entry as low as possible.
Free Rehab Matters for Colorado
The stakes are high. More than a dozen unhoused people died in 2025 from meth and fentanyl in Boulder alone. The closure of the previous recovery home left a critical gap that the city’s homelessness policy advisor, Megan Newton, says this reopening will fill.
“Recovery homes with peer support offer a stable first step to permanent housing and recovery for people exiting homelessness,” Newton noted about the program’s return.
Services at the home include traditional and holistic therapies, case management and peer recovery support. This combination addresses not just addiction but the underlying trauma and instability that often accompany it.
Accessing Free Rehabs in Boulder
Boulder’s recovery home is one example of the free rehab options available across Colorado for people who can’t afford traditional treatment. Here are steps to find low-cost rehabs:
- Check Medicaid eligibility. Colorado has expanded Medicaid, which covers residential treatment, detox, outpatient counseling, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for qualifying adults. If income is low, you may qualify even if you’ve never had insurance before.
- Search for state-funded programs. Colorado’s Office of Behavioral Health funds treatment slots specifically for uninsured or low-income residents.
- Ask about sliding-scale fees. Many nonprofit rehab centers in Colorado offer sliding-scale fees based on income. You pay only what you can afford. Some offer full scholarships for those with no income at all.
Find Affordable Treatment Now
Boulder’s reopened recovery home is a reminder that free rehabs do exist, and they don’t exclude people experiencing homelessness, incarceration history, or lack of insurance.
If you’re in Colorado or elsewhere in the country, similar city- and state-funded low-cost rehabs are available in most regions. You can find them listed in our directory by location or by dialing
800-914-7089
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to find affordable care.
