A house with fewer than six individuals is difficult to maintain because of the small size of the group and the fact that any vacancy causes a greater disruption of the financial welfare of the house. A house must have six or more residents in order to be recognized or chartered by Oxford House. Yes, the prospective residents of the House can find a suitable house, rent it, put up the security deposit and pay the first month’s rent themselves. Oxford House, Inc. will consider favorably a Charter application whether or not a loan is received from the State or some other outside source. The charter of each Oxford House requires that an Oxford House meet certain minimum requirements of Oxford House, Inc. First of all, no Oxford House may permit individuals to remain as members if those individuals are drinking or using drugs.
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- Those who have benefited from an Oxford House have acquired enthusiasm for the Oxford House concept.
- If an Oxford House follows the democratic principles and traditions of Oxford House, Inc., it should have no difficulty in running smoothly.
- In deference to that tradition, Oxford House has never sought nor obtained sponsorship from any AA or NA group.
- Yes, because alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness are handicapping conditions.
Some of us had lived for a time in alcoholic and drug rehabilitation facilities. Those facilities provided us with shelter, food, and therapy for understanding alcoholism. Initially, the structure and supervision of such facilities were acceptable because physically and mentally, we were exhausted.
Is there a support network available for Oxford House residents to help with sober living goals?
Yes, by simply writing or calling Oxford House to ask for a Charter application. Once that application is completed and received by Oxford House, Inc., a “Conditional oxford house sober living Charter” will be granted to the house at no cost. It is inconsistent with the Oxford House system of democratic rule to have a professional manager of Oxford House.
Q. How many individuals lived in an Oxford House during 2010?
The number of residents in a House may range from six to fifteen; there are houses for men, houses for women, and houses which accept women with children. Oxford Houses flourish in metropolitan areas such as New York City and Washington D.C. And thrive in such diverse communities as Hawaii, Washington State, Canada and Australia; but they all abide by the basic criteria.
Other Houses often help that type of move as well as the brand new House. In both cases, financial assistance is in the form of a loan having a pay back schedule, not to exceed one year, defined up front. (Since 1989, many new Oxford Houses have taken advantage of state revolving loan programs. When we stopped drinking, we began to realize that in order to stay stopped, our lives would need to change. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous provided a framework for us to change physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Oxford House Recovery Homes
Established in 1975, these homes aim to provide a safe and supportive environment where residents can work together to maintain their sobriety and transition back into the community. Oxford House Inc., is a non-profit, tax exempt, publicly supported corporation which acts as a umbrella organization for the national network of Oxford Houses. It provides quality control by organizing regional Houses into Chapters and by relying heavily upon the national network of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups. While Oxford House is not affiliated with AA or NA, its members realize that recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction can only be assured by the changing of their lifestyle through full participation in AA and NA. In most communities, the members of those organizations help Oxford Houses get started and report any charter compliance problems to the national office of Oxford House World Services with respect to a particular house.
Fortunately, the 1988 Amendments to the Federal Fair Housing Act prohibit discrimination against handicapped individuals. This prohibition requires local governments to make a reasonable accommodation in their zoning laws to enable handicap individuals to effectively deal with their disability. Some operate for several years and then, because of expiration of a lease, dissatisfaction with the facilities, or simply the finding of a better location, the members of a particular House will move into a new location.
Q. Is there any financial aid available to start a new Oxford House?
The third factor affecting us both in the rehabilitation facilities and the half-way houses was the realization that the duration of our stay must be limited because space must be made for others in need of help. Q. What if there is not an Oxford House in the area or there are no vacancies in any Oxford House in the region? All they need to do is to find a house to rent in the name of the Group, and apply to Oxford House, Inc., for a charter. Those who have benefited from an Oxford House have acquired enthusiasm for the Oxford House concept. In their enthusiasm, they have been anxious to share Oxford House with any recovering alcoholics and drug addicts who want to establish an Oxford House in their community. During the last days of our drinking or using drugs, most of us ceased to function as responsible individuals.
Q. How much sobriety or clean time is needed before an individual can be accepted into an Oxford House? Generally an individual comes into an Oxford House following a rehabilitation program, incarceration, or at least a detoxification program. At any given time there are about 2,000 Oxford House residents who have served in the military. During the course of a year more than 4,000 veterans will live in an Oxford House. Some houses are all veterans but primarily veterans are integrated into the normal Oxford House population. Oxford House will not charter a house with fewer than six individuals because experience has shown that it takes at least six individuals to form an effective group.
- In both cases, financial assistance is in the form of a loan having a pay back schedule, not to exceed one year, defined up front.
- And thrive in such diverse communities as Hawaii, Washington State, Canada and Australia; but they all abide by the basic criteria.
- Oxford House is built on the premise of expanding in order to meet the needs of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.
- Many of us soon learned, however, that living alone or living among our old drinking companions made it more difficult to practice the principles necessary for continued sobriety.
- This policy ensures that the Oxford House maintains a safe and supportive sober living environment for all residents.
Q. Don’t zoning laws limit where a group of unrelated individuals can rent a house?
Oxford House, Inc. litigated the issue and in 1995 the United States Supreme Court considered the issue in City of Edmonds, WA v. Oxford House, Inc. et. Since then courts have found that the same protection applies with respect to fire safety standards and rates charged property owners for property insurance coverage. In conclusion, Oxford Houses offer a unique and valuable option for individuals seeking a supportive and safe environment to maintain their sobriety. With their self-run, democratic structure and emphasis on peer support, Oxford Houses empower residents to take responsibility for their recovery while fostering personal growth. A recovering individual can live in an Oxford House for as long as he or she does not drink alcohol, does not use drugs, and pays an equal share of the house expenses. The average stay is about a year, but many residents stay three, four, or more years.
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