Oxford House –

Time for Recovery

Oxford House – The Model

© 1999, 2003 , 2004, 2008 Oxford House, Inc. 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
 and promotion of diversity, and psychological
sense of community. A stimulating and
compelling brand of powerful first-hand
vignettes and solidly designed quantitative and
qualitative research. “

David Glenwick, PhD

Professor of Psychology
Fordham University

“Remarkable … Rescued Lives cogently

combines personal experience, exhaustive
research, and clear descriptions to tell the story
of the Oxford House approach for treating
substance abuse, especially alcoholism …
insightful … demonstrates what effective
university-community partnerships can
accomplish in understanding an important
phenomenon over a sustained period of time …
Offers challenges to the conventions that have
produced a costly, ineffective health care system
for treating addiction … A better future for
substance abuse treatment starts with reading
Rescued Lives. “

Chris Keys, PhD

Professor Emeritus and Former Chair
Rescued Lives: The Oxford House Approach
Department of Psychology
to Substance Abuse was published July 2008. University of Illinois at Chicago
The book by Leonard Jason, Bradley Olson and
Karen Foli has received the following early
reviews: Rescued Lives: The Oxford House Approach to
Substance Abuse is available from Amazon or
“With both passion and detail, the authors directly from the publisher Routledge. Simply
chronicle the extraordinary social forces that go on line and put Routledge into Google and
shaped the revolutionary Oxford House then put either the book title or author [Jason]
Movement. In doing so, they show why the in the search window. The price of the book is
pursuit of elegantly designed, but de- $29.95 plus shipping. It is a good read and tells
contextualized approaches to drug treatment the story of Oxford House well.
often fall short, and how a more contextualized,
peer-centered approach can bring about long- Many of the scholarly research articles published
term recovery.” by the DePaul group are downloadable by
clicking on “Publications/Evaluations/DePaul” on
Jean Rhodes our website: www.oxfordhouse.org.
Professor of Psychology
University of Massachusetts, Boston
See inside of back page for information
“Rescued Lives: The Oxford House Approach to concerning an earlier publication by the
Substance Abuse offers value for two diverse DePaul group that reports on specific
audiences. For those involved in addiction studies of Oxford House done by them over
treatment, it provides a clear, concise, and vivid the last 14 years.
presentation of a novel, effective, and cost-
efficient approach. For community
psychologists, it offers a fine illustration of a Oxford House – Time for
program that puts into action several of the
discipline’s core concepts, including social
Recovery
support, self-help, empowerment, tolerance for New Orleans Convention 2008

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

2
 Recovery Homes for Recovering Alcoholics and Drug Addicts

Oxford House–The Model

The Federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, P.L. 100-690, required each State to establish a revolving
fund to make loans to six or more recovering individuals to rent houses to use as self-run, self-supported
group homes that are alcohol and drug free. The law was based on the then thirteen- year experience of
the national network of self-help Oxford Houses. Its current codified version can be downloaded from
www.oxfordhouse.org “About Us/Finances.” Today, after 34 years experience there are more than 1,300
Oxford Houses throughout the United States.
This paper explains how to start self-run, self-supported recovery houses in your state. It is a simple
concept, based on the Oxford House experience, and provides a cost-effective way to help thousands of
individuals recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction to avoid a return to addiction by living a
comfortable life without the use of alcohol and drugs. Recovering individuals living together in the
disciplined environment of an Oxford House in a good neighborhood are almost always able to help each
other stay clean and sober without relapse.
The requirement that states have recovery home revolving loan funds is now permissive but
many states continue them. In other areas, various groups have established similar start-up
funds. In other places, recovering individuals themselves simply put together three or four
thousand dollars to help get a new house started.
❏❏❏
Characteristics of Oxford Houses
By the time many persons addicted to alcohol or drugs
Oxford House, Inc. is a network of self-run, self- get serious about recovery, they have lost their normal
supported recovery houses. It is not part of Alcoholics living accommodations or at best made their living in
Anonymous or any other group, but its members rely on them very difficult. Going home becomes either
AA and similar self-help programs for additional impossible or risky for continued recovery. Oxford
outside support. In its first twelve years [1975-1987], House can provide a transitional home between early
it expanded quietly from one house to thirteen houses recovery and past homes or new homes. It can also
without any outside financing. Following enactment of provide a permanent home for those who decide that
the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, Oxford House, Inc. they prefer living in a supportive group environment to
established an expansion program utilizing trained living alone.
outreach workers and the small start-up loan program
available under the new law. Now there are more than Since Oxford House is democratically run and self-
1,000 Oxford Houses throughout the United States. supported, the members living in an Oxford House vote
Most residents of Oxford Houses have become to determine if an applicant for membership is
comfortably clean and sober even though they had often accepted. When an individual is accepted for
failed in the past. This paper describes how self-run, membership in an Oxford House, there is no time limit
self-supported Oxford Houses are established and on how long he or she can live there, but use of alcohol
maintained following a disciplined democratic system or drugs or non-payment of rent will result in expulsion.
of operations. That simple policy lies at the heart of what Oxford
House is and what makes it work.
Oxford House, Inc. does not own property. It simply
encourages groups of recovering individuals to rent Recovering individuals interested in self-run, self-
houses and become affiliated with the Oxford House, supported recovery houses have two options. If they
Inc. network of individual houses. Such affiliation are in an area where Oxford Houses already exist, they
brings with it the Oxford House System, which is not should investigate the possibility of admission to one of
difficult to learn but is very effective. The Oxford those houses. Applications for residence are available
House System fosters democratically run group housing at each house. If there is not an Oxford House in their
and an operating framework tailor-made for the area, or if the existing houses are full, they should
individual recovering from alcohol or drug addiction. consider starting a new one.

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
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3
 Establishing A New Oxford House location. The members of the first house not only
agreed that they could, but also lent them money to help
The steps generally necessary to get ready to get a new get the second house started.
Oxford House started are:
Step Two of starting a new house consists of finding at
1. Contact Oxford House, Inc. (1-301-587-2916) to ask least two recovering individuals willing to live in the
for help and obtain detailed information about "How new house. Of course, it is better to find three, four,
Oxford House Works." five, six or more recovering individuals who want to
2. Contact other recovering individuals in the area who live together in an Oxford House from the start, but that
are interested in starting an Oxford House. is sometimes difficult to do. Oxford House, Inc.
encourages charter applicants to get as many charter
3. File an application with Oxford House, Inc. for an members as possible because the larger the number, the
Oxford House Charter. easier it is to assume that expenses of the new house
can be met. Nevertheless, interested individuals should
Step 1. Getting Information not be discouraged from contacting Oxford House, Inc.
just because they have only a few prospects as charter
In addition to reading this technical assistance paper, members. Oxford House, Inc. will be able to suggest
you may want to find out more about how an Oxford ways to find other prospective charter members in the
House works. Oxford House World Services, the non- particular locality. Among other principles of Oxford
profit, tax-exempt corporation that acts as an umbrella House is one that limits affiliation to single-sex houses
service organization for all Oxford Houses, can provide accommodating at least six residents (the average
you with additional information and encouragement number of residents in an Oxford House is between
based upon its 34-year experience. You may contact: eight and nine).

Oxford House World Services Step 3. Formally Applying For A Charter

1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Self-run, self-supported recovery houses can be started
Telephone (301) 587-2916 by anyone and may stand-alone or be formally affiliated
Facsimile (301) 589-0302 with Oxford House. Oxford House affiliation is
advantageous for a new house because of the mutual
Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org support that can come from such an existing
organization.

Many states and other public and private organizations Once a group that is interested in starting an Oxford
have contracts with Oxford House World Services to House has been formed, it should file an application for
provide on-site technical assistance. Oxford House a charter. An application for a charter can be obtained
World Services can put you in touch with them. If by downloading it from www.oxfordhouse.org
your area does not have such a contract, Oxford House [“Publications/General” and scroll down to “forms.”]
World Services can suggest ways to get one. Often
local organizations provide money to get technical Bottom–Up Democracy and Support
assistance from Oxford House World Services to assure
proper establishment of a new Oxford House. The advantage of becoming affiliated with the Oxford
House Network of Recovery Houses is the ability to
share the experience of other self-run, self-supported
Step 2. Getting Members recovery houses. Most Oxford Houses make monthly
contributions of $50 to help pay the expenses of Oxford
The original Oxford House got started because several House World Services.1 The monthly contribution per
recovering individuals decided to work together to start
it. After the first house had been going a few months, 1 At the first annual Oxford House World Convention in 1999 the
three members of the first house decided to start individual houses established a goal for each house to make a $50 a
another. Those three members became "Charter month voluntary contribution to support the World Services Office
Members" of the new house – that is, they asked the and many do. These voluntary contributions combined with grants,
contracts and other contributions provide financial support for the
other members of the first house if they could receive national World Services Office to assure development of a strong
authorization to replicate the first house at another network of individual Oxford Houses.

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

4
house amounts to about $5 a resident and is payable out Another value of the Charter is that a new Oxford
of house funds rather than as an individual assessment. House becomes part of Oxford House, Inc., a non-profit
corporation that has been recognized as qualifying
Individual Oxford Houses work together at a local level under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as
by forming Chapters. Within the Chapter framework a tax-exempt organization.4 This status permits
most houses pay a small amount of monthly dues to individuals who make donations to claim a tax
defer expenses.2 deduction.5
❏❏❏
Since 1997, the World Council has governed the
policies and programs of the organization. The Finding the Right House
individual Oxford Houses elect the World Council.3 As a general rule, Oxford Houses are located in good
The Oxford House, Inc. board of directors is made up areas of a community and not in slums. Recovering
of outside directors with representation of the World individuals have enough to do in staying sober and
Council. It determines the overall business practices of straight. There is no need to add fear of safety or poor
the organization.
living conditions to their effort6. Experience has
There is no charge for the Charter, but each house must shown that by living in a good house in a good
maintain its operation consistent with the following neighborhood, all individuals, whether from poor,
conditions: middle class or wealthy neighborhoods, value their
living accommodations and have an additional
• A new Oxford House must be run in accordance
incentive to stay clean and sober.
with the concept, system of operations and
traditions of Oxford House as set forth in the
Oxford House Manual©. From a zoning standpoint, Oxford House has always
maintained that its members should be treated the same
• A resident member of a house must immediately
as any residential family. In at least one locality the
leave if such member returns to using alcohol or
drugs or fails to keep up with his or her share of the
city council has passed a resolution finding Oxford
costs for operating the house, and House to be a residential family classification for
zoning purposes7. In every situation members living in
• A new Oxford House must be a good neighbor in
the community and pay its bills in a timely manner.
• Groups of Oxford Houses in a locality form 4 Any non-profit corporation can apply for tax-exempt status but it
chapters to follow mutually supportive principles
must (1) incorporate as a non-profit corporation, and (2) demonstrate
set forth in the Oxford House Chapter Manual©. that it is in fact non-profit. It takes up to two years to get recognition
as qualifying under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The charter becomes a valuable asset for providing The same result can be obtained by affiliating with Oxford House,
support when a house is faced with the problem of Inc.,
having to expel a resident because of a return to
5 The Internal Revenue Service often checks deductions claimed by
drinking alcohol or using drugs. Expulsion of a
taxpayers against the records of the recipient of the claimed donation.
member who has relapsed is always difficult but it Therefore it is important that the tax-exempt organization keep
becomes easier when members balance the decision to accurate records so that the contributor does not get in trouble with
expel against the risk of losing the house charter if they the IRS. Oxford House, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization recognized
fail to maintain an alcohol and drug free environment. as qualifying under Section 501(c)(3) of the Federal Internal Revenue
Code. It will act as a central "record keeper" for individual Oxford
Houses. It makes sense for new houses to get a charter from Oxford
House, Inc. in order to become eligible to receive contributions, but
the houses must follow the reporting rules of Oxford House, Inc. in
order to assure proper record keeping. [Read the Oxford House
2 In 1999, the average chapter dues were $2.50 per resident per pamphlet “contributions.”]
month. Chapter dues are used to keep individual houses in the
chapter informed of meetings, events and programs fostered by the 6 While all Oxford Houses are presently in good neighborhoods,
local cluster of Oxford Houses. Oxford House, Inc. has occasionally considered some good houses in
not very good neighborhoods. Those houses were rejected primarily
3 In 1997 Oxford House, Inc. reorganized in order to have some because individuals recovering from addiction to drugs pointed out
outside directors to enable a faster expansion of the number of Oxford the existence of drug trafficking in the area. Unlike liquor stores,
Houses. However, the reorganization kept the elected national group which do not push their product door to door, drug dealers are less
[the World Council] to make certain that the traditions and charter passive.
conditions of Oxford House are maintained. At an annual convention
individual houses elect members of the 12-member World Council 7 The Chief of the Bureau of Inspections for the City of Bethlehem,
for staggered 3 - year terms of office. Pennsylvania on September 11, 1987 made the following finding:

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

5
an Oxford House have proved themselves to be good • the amount of weekly rent a member can afford depends
neighbors and zoning ordinances have not been a upon the locality, but as a general rule members can afford
barrier. Moreover, the Fair Housing Act Amendments between $55 and $115 a week to cover rent and other
of 1988 (effective March 1, 1989) make it unlawful to expenses;
discriminate against disabled persons such as those • some vacant beds are to be expected during the first three
living together in self-run, self-supported recovery to four months of operation (individual costs are higher
houses.8 when there are fewer members living in a house) because a
new house takes time to become known (this can be
overcome by lining up a greater number of charter
The size of a house to be rented is significant. members willing to move in on Day One) and some
Experience has shown that at least four good-sized individuals will be kicked out because they relapse, thereby
bedrooms are necessary. Experience has also shown causing a vacancy until a new member is voted in.
that at least several of the bedrooms should be suitable Keeping a member's rent paid in advance minimizes the
for two people. Isolation and loneliness are threats to economic impact of this event; and
sobriety – particularly for the newly recovering. From • new houses are generally able to get donated furnishings.
an economic standpoint, expenses are best managed
when the house is fully utilized. The goal should be to
Experience has shown that individual members of AA
use a house as a large family would but to avoid
or NA are very helpful to newly recovering individuals
overcrowding.
who want to start an Oxford House. Newly recovering
Experience has also shown that the only threat of an individuals should ask older recovering members for
Oxford House being less than a good neighbor is the help in finding a house to rent and getting a charter
automobile. Members living in an Oxford House need from Oxford House, Inc. approved. Some older
to be careful not to use all the parking spaces in a recovering individuals may even own rental property
neighborhood and not to park their cars in a way that they are willing to rent to a new Oxford House.
makes their house look like a used car lot. In seeking a Generally, every Oxford House has paid rent on time
house to rent as a new Oxford House, keep in mind that and, if a house is adequate, the residents will continue
once recovering individuals have been sober, they begin to rent it year after year.
to get their finances straightened out and will often Rehabilitation facilities, local government alcohol and
acquire a car. Can it be parked in a place that does not drug rehabilitation programs, and local halfway houses
offend the neighbors? have also proven useful as sources of help for new
houses. Generally, local halfway houses have a time
Oxford House, Inc. can provide good information about limit for residents and welcome the opportunity to have
the type of house to rent. However, the following rules an Oxford House in their locality to provide further
of thumb are helpful to keep in mind: transitional housing for recovering individuals. Any
doubts they have about how Oxford House works can
• utilities and other costs usually run about fifty percent of be alleviated through contact with a member of the
monthly rent, therefore per member monthly payment will Oxford House Staff. From a landlord’s standpoint,
be the number of members in a house divided into 150 per Oxford House residents make good tenants. The
cent of the rent9; groups tend to live in a house year after year, whereas
the normal renter may move every few years. This fact
"After reviewing your letter and review of the 'Oxford House' alone is of great value to a landlord who avoids missing
literature, regarding recovering alcoholics living together in a self- any monthly rental income and does not have to
supported dwelling, I have concluded the proposal is within the refurbish the property continually to attract a new
definition of a 'family': as defined in the City of Bethlehem, Pa. tenant.
Zoning Code."
The physical qualities of a house should include the
8 The United Supreme Court on May 15, 1995 issued a decision in following:
City of Edmonds, WA v. Oxford House, Inc. [514 U.S. 725] which
confirms that recovering alcoholics and drug addicts in an Oxford good location - location of the house is very
House are “handicapped” within the meaning of the Federal Fair important since a poor location can result in drug
Housing Act, as amended, and local jurisdictions must make a
reasonable accommodation in local zoning laws to avoid
discrimination under the Act. Likewise, casualty insurance four to six bedroom house is very high (above $2,500 per month) or
companies must offer the same homeowner’s policy to landlords low (less than $600 or $700 a month). In high rent cases the "150%
renting to an Oxford House group as to an ordinary family. Wai and rule of thumb" will overstate the amount of cost per person and in low
Oxford House, Inc. v. Allstate Insurance Company, et. al. [75 F. rent cases it will understate the cost per person. Oxford House can
Supp. 2d 1 (DDC 1999)]. provide worksheets to compute actual costs. Such actual
9 This rule of thumb applies except in regions where the rent for a computation is always better to use than the "rule of thumb."

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

6
 pushers and crime; a good location can provide The first item to obtain is beds. Frequently, potential
incentive to stay clean and sober; residents of the house have a bed to donate. Retailers
of beds often have mismatched twin bed sets that they
adequate size - size of the house is important
will donate to Oxford House – which is a 501(c)(3) tax-
because enough space is needed to comfortably
exempt organization. If they will not donate the beds,
accommodate a large "family" of recovering
they may be willing to sell the mismatched beds at a
individuals;
substantial discount. Remember to get twin-size beds.
adequate facilities - facilities of the house should be
Twin-sized beds are best and, whenever possible, it is
adequate to accommodate the individuals living in it
advisable to have two people to a bedroom in an Oxford
including one bath or shower for every four
House in order to guard against isolation, loneliness and
residents, a dishwasher to assure good health and at
depression which can be a threat to sobriety while an
least one common room suitable for family like
individual is in early recovery.
gatherings to discuss the new lifestyle free of alcohol
and drug use; and Once beds are in the new house individuals can move in
– the other necessary household furnishings can be
proximity to public transportation - in urban areas,
obtained after individuals are living in the house and
proximity to public transportation is important
paying rent. Suggestions for getting the other items are
because many individuals in early recovery from
listed in random order below:
addiction to alcohol or drugs will not have an
automobile. • Dishes, pots and pans and other kitchen utensils
are most often obtained by simply letting members
Starting a new Oxford House takes some work, but help at an AA or NA meeting know that the new house
is available and the rewards are considerable – for needs these items – if that does not produce results,
many, the rewards are life saving. try "Good Will" or a thrift or second-hand shop.

Rehabilitation facilities are often willing to help a new • Tables and chairs for the kitchen and dining
house since Oxford House has been of great value to room are also most often obtained by letting those
many rehabilitation facilities in their efforts to provide in AA or NA know that the new house needs tables
aftercare, which increases the chances of recovery. and chairs – others who can be asked for donations
Alcohol and drug treatment programs run by local include church groups, veteran’s groups, and
governments are usually very interested in the Oxford service clubs such as the Lions, Rotary, Elks or
House concept because of its low cost and relapse Moose.
prevention potential. Potential landlords with an • Chests of Drawers and small tables for the
interest in alcohol or drug abuse rehabilitation are often bedroom are sometimes hard to get because
willing to help. Good business and doing good can go families have a tendency to keep chests around for
hand in hand. And, of course, individual members of extra drawer space even when they are replaced.
AA and NA can usually be relied upon for support. However, if you let people know you need them,
❏❏❏ you may be surprised. Again thrift shops,
household content sales and yard sales may be a
Moving In source for reasonably priced chests and tables.
The local furniture store may have seconds, or
Newly-weds in America will generally "set up discontinued or damaged merchandise. A house
housekeeping" on their own. They usually do so with with an Oxford House Charter will be recognized
very few furnishings – a bed, some linens, dishes, and as part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, so
few pots and pans for cooking. So, too, with the that businesses and individuals can claim a tax
residents of a new Oxford House. deduction for the value of whatever is donated.10
The new group that has found a house and applied for
its charter cannot simply wait to get all the furnishings
needed. The rent for the house must be paid; the
recovering individuals need a place to live. It is often 10 Material sent when a house receives an Oxford House Charter
necessary, therefore, to move in with a minimum of includes a booklet; "Reporting Donations for Tax Purposes," which
furnishings. explains the record keeping that must be done to permit individuals or
business to claim a tax deduction. Such information can also be
obtained from the local office of the United States Internal Revenue
Service or at the website for IRS.

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

7
 • Because the new Oxford House will be a family the heart of the Oxford House system of operations –
to a number of individuals who will prepare their both for practical and therapeutic reasons.
own main meal, extra refrigerator space will As products of the democratic traditions of the United
probably be needed. The local appliance dealer States, all members of an Oxford House can readily
will have some good second-hand refrigerators. understand the utilitarian aspects of deciding issues by a
As a rule of thumb, each member of the house majority vote. From the New England town meeting
should be able to use two refrigerator shelves. to the Congress of the United States, the practicality of
• A microwave oven will help reduce the time that resolving disagreements through the freely cast vote is
individuals need in the kitchen, but a house understood. In an Oxford House the vote can resolve
generally waits until a house is going a few months the color of a rug to be purchased, the assignment of
before it accumulates the money to buy one. clean-up chores, and the expulsion of a member who
has relapsed.
• A clothes washer and dryer are often standard Perhaps less clearly understood are the reasons that a
equipment in a rental property. democratically self-run recovery house provides special
• A vacuum cleaner and rugs are items that a new help to recovering individuals undertaking the task of
house usually seeks. They may not be essential, developing a new lifestyle – often after years of
but both go a long way toward making a house a practicing a lifestyle dominated by addiction to alcohol
pleasant place to live in. and drugs. Because Oxford House works to help
individuals undergo that change in lifestyle, it is worth
Although it may seem difficult to furnish a whole the time to consider the role that democratic rule by
house, the members of an Oxford House will find that peers – and only peers – plays in the process. There is
slowly but surely a house gets comfortably furnished. no better place to turn for a thorough understanding
than the political commentaries about the system of
❏❏❏ government adopted for and tested by the more than
two hundred years of history of the United States.
Organizing The House A starting point is an observation written in the 50th
Federalist paper used to convince the Nation's
Oxford House is a concept and a system of operation. forefathers that they should adopt the Constitution. "If
The two go hand-in-hand. The concept is that men were angels," said the 50th Federalist, "no
recovering individuals can live together and government would be necessary.” As recovering
democratically run an alcohol and drug-free living individuals, each member of an Oxford House knows
environment which supports the recovery of every that men and women are not "angels". By the same
resident. The system of operation is the nuts and bolts token, involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous and
or how to make a self-run, self-supported recovery Narcotics Anonymous convinces one that all men and
house work. women are neither depraved nor immoral. Author
The Oxford House System of Operation has worked Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. summarized the value of
well for twenty-eight years and has evolved into democracy in achieving the balance between perfection
practices and procedures that work well for establishing and depravity in the following ways:
a new Oxford House and keeping it on track once it has Democracy, properly construed, assumes neither
been established. Because recovering alcoholics and total perfectibility nor total depravity. It sees
recovering drug addicts developed it, it takes into humans simultaneously as tainted by original sin
account the way responsibility is learned or relearned and as capable of redemption.
by those afflicted with alcoholism or drug addiction.
It is this "capability of redemption" that permits
At the heart of the system of operations is fairness recovering individuals to live together in an alcohol and
assured by democratic procedures and elected officials drug-free environment and work together to preserve
from within the Oxford House resident community. that environment, accept responsibility and learn a new
Each House officer is democratically elected for a term individual lifestyle free of alcohol and drug use.
not to exceed six months in the same office. The Always on guard against reverting to old behavior
limited term of office for any particular office patterns, each individual works as part of the group to
minimizes the chance that an individual prone to learn values such as tolerance, caring and responsibility
bossism will dominate an individual self-run, self- without having anyone to blame or fault for conditions
supported recovery house. Democracy, however, lies at as they exist. All the recovering individuals in a house

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

8
are in the same boat; their common enemy is addiction Treasurer.) 11 Finally, each of the house presidents
to alcohol and drugs; their common goal a new lifestyle exercises leadership by resolving disputes among house
comfortably rid of both alcohol and drugs. members, listens to individual members who have
Just as the Constitution provides a framework for problems, and represents the entire house in monthly
democracy to work in the United States and the Twelve Chapter meetings where several Oxford Houses in a
Steps and Twelve Traditions provide a framework for geographic area work with each other to assure the
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to good name and high quality of all Oxford Houses.
work, so too do the Oxford House System of
Operations and Oxford House Traditions provide a The Treasurer has primary responsibility for
framework for the self-run, self-supported recovery maintaining the finances of an Oxford House in good
house to work. Some rules of procedure are necessary order. The Treasurer keeps the checking account in
for democracy to work and these include the election of balance, writes checks for timely payment of house
officers, the management of finances, acceptance of bills, collects the rent and lets the members know the
financial status of the house at every weekly business
new residents, and removal of those who return to the
use of alcohol or drugs. meeting. Most houses post the Treasurer's Weekly
Report in a prominent place in the house so that each
Officers elected in an Oxford House are but "trusted member can examine it at his or her leisure. There are
servants" and their power is limited by the will of the no secrets when it comes to house finances.
majority and the Oxford House Traditions. The term of
office in any one office is for a continuous period no The Secretary records minutes of each house business
more than six months. (An individual can be elected to meeting. Those minutes are read at the next business
the same office again after an intervening term of six meeting so that the group will be able to focus on
months has elapsed. This is often necessary in smaller unfinished business and continually keep track of house
houses having very little turnover.) problems, policies and decisions. The Secretary also
The number of officers in an Oxford House depends – keeps track of applications for membership in the
in part – upon the particular house. Every Oxford house, arranges interviews for applicants, and maintains
House elects the following officers: a file of applicants accepted and rejected. After a
house has been in existence a short period of time, the
number of applications is likely to far exceed the
❏ President number of spaces available.

❏ Treasurer The Comptroller is an assistant to the Treasurer and

has primary responsibility for collecting weekly ‘rent’
❏ Comptroller from the members of the house on time. Every self-
run, self-supported recovery house charges each
❏ Secretary member the same amount of weekly rent and the
amount of rent is an equal share of the house expenses.
Because there is no "fat" in the weekly share of
❏ Coordinator expenses assessments, everybody must pay on time.
Each week the entire house discusses what to do about
Each of the above officers has a specific role to play in any member's overdue share of expenses. In general,
making the Oxford House System of Operations work. most houses try to collect the equal share of expenses at
least one week in advance of when it is due.
The President presides at the weekly business meeting
of the house. In that role he or she brings up items of The Coordinator is – in many ways – the most
business in a regular order, recognizes all the members important office in the house. He or she must assign
wishing to comment on any issues, and conducts votes and review weekly chores that every resident in the
to determine the decision of the membership, when house must undertake to keep the house neat and clean.
appropriate. Usually the President of an Oxford
House will be one of two individuals whose signature
will be required on each check written by the House. 11 Proper management of finances is very important in a self-run,
(The other signature required is generally that of the self-supported recovery house. Two signatures are always required
to write any checks. The money belongs to all the members of the
house as a group and great care has to be taken to make certain it is
expended only for expenditures authorized by the group.

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

9
Because the offices are held for only six months, Since recovering addicts are highly vulnerable to
everyone tends to cooperate because each person knows relapse, it is likely that many houses will have some
he or she may be elected Coordinator the next time members who relapse. Each member, however,
around. Working together to keep a house clean is one realizes that the system works only if the relapser is
of the ways house members learn responsibility and expelled. The common welfare of the group in
gain self-esteem. maintaining an alcohol and drug-free living
environment is too great to risk by not expelling any
Group decisions are made by majority vote, except with individual at the first sign of a relapse. Moreover, each
respect to admission of new members into the group. member knows that failure to expel a member who has
To admit a new member, an 80% favorable vote by used drugs or alcohol places the charter of their house
existing members is needed. The purpose of the 80% at risk. Oxford House, Inc. makes it clear that a charter
vote is three-fold: (1) acceptance of a new member into can be revoked if members who return to using are not
the group involves a commitment by nearly everyone in expelled.
the house and a newcomer should be assured a
supportive environment when he or she moves in; (2) Once a member has been expelled, he or she is
knowing that an 80% acceptance vote is needed, the normally not accepted back into the same Oxford
newcomer will value his or her admission more than if House. However, the member may be accepted into
admission were by a simple majority, and (3) an 80% another Oxford House following a period of thirty days'
admission vote forces thoughtful consideration by the sobriety.
entire house when a newcomer applies for admission.
The expulsion of relapsers has a positive effect on both
©
The Oxford House Manual provides guideposts for the relapser and the other members of the house. As
organization of an Oxford House. Within a matter of painful as an expulsion may be, it is a judgment by
weeks the self-run, self-supported recovery house can one's peers. The peers themselves who make the
be operating smoothly if organizational procedures are difficult decision seem to have their own sobriety
followed, including a business meeting in the house at reinforced.
least once a week. (There are no AA or NA meetings
held in an Oxford House, but the members of a house The democratic nature of the house organization, the
tend to go to an average of five or six AA or NA written system of operations, the election of officers,
meetings outside the house each week.) the written traditions and the grant of the charter all
work together to promote recovery through the exercise
The importance of the weekly business meeting cannot of responsibility. As the members enjoy their recovery
be overstated. It not only serves to keep the members and realize the role that the self-run, self-supported
of a house up-to-date concerning the financial matters recovery house has played in recovery, they help
of the house but also serves as a place to resolve replicate the experience for others by starting another
personality differences between house members. It also recovery house.
provides a forum in which peer pressure can be used to
encourage each member to work his or her own 12-step Individual houses organize themselves into groups
program of recovery. In brief, the house meeting [chapters] through which houses help each other to stay
becomes an important opportunity for members to help on track help assurance of quality operation by each
each other keep on a steady course to develop a new house. In local areas the officers of each house meet at
comfortable lifestyle that is free of alcohol and drug one of the member houses as a chapter each month.
use. Chapters provide a forum for individual houses at the
local level to share their strength, experience and hopes.
The most difficult – and most important decision – a In doing so they provide an effective means for keeping
self-run, self-supported recovery house has to make is The Chapter also becomes the front-line for assuring
whether or not a resident has returned to using alcohol that all member houses follow the conditions of their
or drugs. The decision is made at a meeting of the charter. The good name of Oxford House, as a whole,
house residents. The members consider the facts – all depends upon charter compliance. The Chapter also
of who know about addiction from their own makes sure that every house uses the website to post
experiences – and a vote is taken on whether or not a vacancies as soon as they occur. Every house member
relapse has occurred. If a majority of the members vote should remember how important it is to find a
that the resident has relapsed, he or she must leave supportive place to live in early recovery.
immediately. ❏❏❏

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

10
 The Concept that lead to picking up a drink at the next point of
crisis. Over the long term, providing alcoholics with
The concept underlying self-run, self-supported pills only reinforces their illusion that relief of
recovery houses is the same as the one underlying distress is pharmacological, not human.13
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous –
addicted individuals can help themselves by helping Vaillant does note that "self-help groups, of which
each other abstain from alcohol and drug use one day at Alcoholics Anonymous is one model, offer the simplest
a time for a long enough time to permit a new set of way of providing the alcoholic with all four
values to be substituted for the values of a lifestyle in components referred to above." 14 So too with Oxford
which alcohol and drugs were used. Sobriety is habit House. It provides the benefits of prolonged
forming but each recovering individual is different and hospitalization without the destruction of self-esteem.
it takes time, peer support and a drug-free living In fact, self-esteem is restored through the exercise of
environment to become comfortable enough in sobriety responsibility, helping others, resocialization, and
to avoid relapse or recidivism. constructive pride in maintaining an alcohol and drug-
free living environment without dependency upon any
Dr. George E. Vaillant, in his book The Natural History outside authority or helper.
of Alcoholism, states the obvious goal in the treatment
of alcoholism [or drug addiction] when he states that, The concept – which seems never before to have been
"The treatment of alcoholism should be directed toward formalized on a democratically, self-run, and self-
altering an ingrained habit of maladaptive use of supported basis – is not new.
alcohol. ..." He goes on to spell out the four
components of treatment that can achieve that goal: The basic idea that one addict is a primary source of
help for another has long been known and was, in fact,
(1) offering the patient a nonchemical substitute basic to the history of AA. Robert Thomsen, in his
dependency for alcohol, biography of Bill Wilson, one of the co-founders of
AA, describes the first meeting between Bill and Dr.
(2) reminding him ritually that even one drink can Bob Smith as follows:
lead to pain and relapse,
They talked on for hours. Soon Dr. Bob had opened up
(3) repairing the social and medical damage that he and was speaking as frankly, as unashamedly, as Bill.
has experienced, and When they parted after eleven o'clock, they knew
something had radically changed in them both.
Although they could not be specific about what it was, a
(4) restoring self-esteem.12
spark that was to light future fires had been struck.

Vaillant also points out that providing all four For Bill it had been a unique, wondrous and totally
components at once is not easy. engrossing experience. After admitting his deep need to
share his problems with another drunk, he had not felt
Disulfiram (Antabuse) and similar compounds that the slightest desire to preach or in any way judge the
produce illness if alcohol is ingested are reminders other man. With a sense of incredible freedom, relief
not to drink, but they take away a cherished addiction and, yes, joy, he'd felt the two of them growing closer,
their talk becoming a mutual thing, and he knew they
without providing anything in return: they provide
had both felt this. Two drunks had found a new,
the second component but ignore the first. mysterious and loving kind of communication, a new
Prolonged hospitalization provides the first three language of the heart. The link he had been seeking was
components but ignores the fourth and eventually the located that night in Henrietta's library. 15
first. Hospital patienthood destroys self-esteem, and
when hospitalization ceases the patient loses his
substitute dependency. Tranquilizing drugs provide
the first component but ignore the other three. For
13 Id. 301.
example, providing the anxious alcoholic with
tranquilizers will give temporary relief of anxiety but
14 Id. 301.
may also facilitate the chain of conditioned responses
15 Henrietta Siberling of Akron, Ohio, who had been a member of an
12 George E. Vaillant, The Natural History of Alcoholism, Harvard Oxford Group in Akron and responsible for getting Bill Wilson and
University Press, Cambridge, 1983, p. 300. Dr. Bob Smith together.

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

11
 They had dinner together the next evening and after a underpinning for the self-run, self-supported recovery
few days Bill moved in with Anne and Dr. Bob in their house as an alcohol and drug-free, self-run and self-
home on Ardmore Avenue. He sent word to his proxy supported living environment. While there is no
associates in New York that he'd be staying on in Akron, formal connection between Oxford House and AA/NA,
and, to his surprise, they wired some cash to him and
most residents in Oxford House get in the habit of
suggested he might hire a lawyer and investigate the
going to a lot of AA or NA meetings.
possibility of fraud at the stockholders meeting.16 Thus
he was no longer penniless, but his primary interest now The concept of a self-run, self-supported recovery
was his work with Dr. Bob and the uncanny parallels house for individuals recovering from addiction is
they were discovering in their stories. simple, but it requires individual initiative and
Both were Vermonters, Bob the son of a judge in St. acceptance by society for mass replication to become a
Johnsbury. Both had taken up drinking at an early age, reality. The sanction and the framework provided by
Bob while still a student at Dartmouth, even before the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and the Fair Housing
medical school, and from the beginning they had both Act Amendments of 1988 create a climate, which
gone at booze heavily. Each, except for the hells created encourages replication. The experience and expertise
by drinking, had had a happy marriage and each of Oxford House can provide the motivation and
admitted he must have been born with an iron technical know-how to help make mass replication of
constitution to withstand the beating he had given recovery houses a reality throughout the Nation.
himself. And each had wrecked a career that had started
out brilliantly.
❏❏❏
These were the external parallels. The interior ones
were equally striking, the guilt and remorse, the defenses
they'd constructed, the passionate desires and the futile State Recovery House Revolving Loan
efforts to understand and be in control, and finally, after Programs
seeking so many other solutions, they had both wound
up trying to give shape and meaning to their lives by The State Recovery House Loan Programs can serve as
adhering to the excruciatingly high standards of the the catalyst needed to get individual recovery houses
Oxford Group.17 started throughout the State.18 The first month’s rent
and security deposit is usually available to get a house
About ten days after Bill Wilson had moved in to live started. This section of the paper explains how to
with Dr. Bob and Anne, Dr. Bob went to a medical effectively use this simple program to begin the process
meeting in Atlantic City and relapsed into drinking of affording all individuals recovering from addiction
alcohol. Five days later, Dr. Bob returned to Akron with the support they need to get the long-term support
drunk. His wife Anne and Bill Wilson sobered him up they need to use 12-step programs to develop a lifestyle
over a three-day period. Dr. Bob took his last drink on permanently free of addiction to alcohol and drugs.
June 10, 1935. Bill Wilson stayed in Akron living in
Dr. Bob's house on Ardmore Avenue for four months Some states have contracts or grant arrangements with
and in many ways it was the first Oxford House – two Oxford House World Services. In those cases the
former drunks living in an alcohol and drug-free process for finding a suitable house, recruiting
environment focused upon helping each other and recovering individuals to live in the house and to teach
others recover from addiction to alcohol. those individuals the right way to organize and operate
Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith went on to practice and an Oxford House is easier than where there is no
refine the principles they learned in the first few months Oxford House presence. In all states, Oxford House
of living together in the alcohol and drug-free
environment of the house on Ardmore Avenue in 18 42 USC 300x-25 is the section of the U.S. Code that is the
Akron. Their legacy to individuals now struggling to provision of law permitting states to use block grant money to
recover from alcoholism and drug addiction –AA– is establish a recovery home revolving loan fund. Some states have
present in every town throughout the United States and such funds; others do not. See our website: www.oxfordhouse.org for
a discussion of start-up loans and contact information for each state
most of the world. It is that legacy that provides the alcohol and drug agency. Click “Links/State Gov”. Such start-up
loans funds were required under the original 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse
Act but the state start-up recovery home revolving loan funds were
made permissive – not mandatory – in 2000. Oxford House favored
16 Bill Wilson had been in Akron to work on the acquisition of a the change in the law because by then it was clear that Oxford House
company in which there was a stockholders proxy fight. expansion worked so well that any student of recovery would support
development of statewide networks of Oxford Houses as an effective
17 Robert Thomsen, Bill W., Harper & Row, New York 1975, pp means for stopping the recycling of alcoholics in and out of treatment
238-239. or incarceration.

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

12
World Services is prepared to help anyone to learn how so on. (Oxford House will discuss with you the exact
to start and operate Oxford Houses. In states without permissible uses of the loan.)
recovery home start-up loan funds the local recovery
• The loan must be repaid within two years in twenty-
community should persuade their state legislators to
four equal monthly installments. (It may be repaid
institute recovery home revolving loan funds.
sooner in order to put money back in the Revolving
Evaluations of states that have used the start-up
Fund so that other groups in the State can start more
recovery home revolving loan funds are available for
download at [“Publications/Evaluations/States”] at the houses.) 21
website www.oxfordhouse.org. • As a general rule four or more recovering
individuals must apply for the loan (In some cases
Technical Assistance Oxford House, Inc. or participating state agencies
The telephone number for getting assistance from will approve loans that meet all other conditions even
Oxford House World Services is 1-301-587-2916. though the number of loan applicants is less than four
Specific questions and general information about how provided that once operational the house will provide
to help make the State Recovery Housing Program a room for at least six residents.
success should be directed to them. Oxford House has
• In all cases the number of recovering individuals
people who have experience starting and running self-
living in a group must be six or more and preference
run, self-supported recovery houses and will share that
will be given to groups of between eight and fifteen
experience with citizens wanting to make the State because larger groups work best. An Oxford House
program a success or to get a recovery home start-up CHARTER can be given only to groups of SIX or
revolving loan fund established. Oxford House World more recovering individuals. Fewer residents are not
Services also has experienced individuals available to able to effectively function within the discipline
states though modest grants or contracts. The on-site democratic system of operation. History has shown
outreach workers can provide the expertise to enable
that the best number of residents in a group is eight to
local recovering individuals to establish clusters or
twelve.
statewide networks of self-run, self-supported Oxford
Houses to encourage treatment providers, drug courts • Oxford House will provide technical assistance for
and re-entry from prison programs to provide a realistic meeting all requirements. It will also be available to
opportunity for recovering individuals to become provide advice about renting the house, lining up
comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse. See recovering individuals to live in the house, opening
DePaul University NIAAA and NIDA research results the checking account for the new house, getting
showing Oxford House is the best practice to assure utilities on, and getting organized to operate
recovery without relapse at the Oxford House website: democratically and on a self-support basis. Some
www.oxfordhouse.org. states provide grants to Oxford House World
Services so that trained, experienced outreach
Loan Approval workers can be made available in the state to provide
Once a suitable house has been lined up Oxford House hands on training and support. These states tend to
can help individuals apply for a start-up loan where have the strongest and largest statewide networks of
states have contracted with Oxford House World Oxford Houses.
Services to provide such assistance.19 Start-up loans An appropriate loan application can be obtained by
may be granted within the following guidelines: calling the State Alcohol and Drug Agency 22 or Oxford
House World Services at (301) 587-2916. Oxford
• The maximum amount of the loan is $4,000.20
House will send you a copy of the current application,
• Proceeds from the loan must be used for specific or tell you where to get one.
items, i.e. first month’s rent, security deposit, beds and

19 Experience has shown that on-site technical assistance within a

21 If Congress adjusts the $4,000 loan to $7,000 [reflecting inflation],
state works best to establish Oxford Houses and to develop mutually
supportive chapters and state associations to assure quality control – it is hoped that it will also change the repayment period from 24
e.g. to keep houses on track once they are established. months to 36 months so as to keep the monthly repayment amount for
the group at about $170 a month.
20 The $4,000 amount was set in the 1988 law. Today inflation
suggests the amount should be changed to $7,000. Oxford House has 22 State agency telephone numbers are listed at website:
asked Congress to make the change. www.oxfordhouse.org under “Links/State Gov”.

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

13
Once a loan is approved it is made to the recovery There is no cost involved in getting a CHARTER from
house group – not particular individuals. Therefore, Oxford House and it contains only three conditions:
you must have a group ready to go when the loan is
• The recovery house must be operated on a
approved and establish a checking account in the
democratic basis;
group's name. The group will need a federal tax
identification number. Oxford House can help you get • The recovery house must be financially self-
one. supported; and
The group getting the loan will be given a coupon book • Individuals who use alcohol and drugs must
with each coupon showing the amount due and the due be expelled.
date. The repayment must be made on time each
month that a payment is due. Failure to make timely Compliance with the CHARTER assures that the
repayment will result in a penalty being assessed. recovery house, in fact, provides support for individuals
There is no interest on the loan but each group should to recover from addiction and begin productive lives
work hard to avoid penalties by making its payment on unhampered by the ravages of addiction to alcohol and
time. Returning money to the revolving loan fund drugs.
becomes available to start more houses.
Recovery without relapse is the theme and goal of
The loan application process is not difficult if the every Oxford House. Each house also accepts the
individuals wanting to start a recovery house contact responsibility of expanding and strengthening the
Oxford House early in the process. Oxford House can network of Oxford Houses so that all recovering
help make the loan application process a simple one. individuals can achieve recovery without relapse.
Potential applicants should write or call Oxford House
World Services Office for assistance. Businesses, This responsibility for affording a universal opportunity
foundations, local church groups, state or local to recovering individuals for recovery without relapse is
governments should inquire about outreach and an outgrowth of the 1999 Oxford House World
technical service by Oxford House World Services Convention. At that first convention Oxford Houses
Office. On-site technical service can be provided to followed through on the Convention theme – “If Not
start new houses and to help keep existing houses on Us, Who?.” They accepted successful expansion as
track. See page 17 for what outreach workers do. part of their responsibility and voted to contribute $50 a
month per house to Oxford House World Services to
Getting a CHARTER improve both expansion and the ability of Oxford
House, Inc. to provide technical services to help expand
Write or telephone (301-587-2916) Oxford House the national network of houses. In 2007, more than 250
World Services about how to get a CHARTER for the Oxford Houses around the country voluntarily sent in
new house. A conditional CHARTER will generally be $50 a month to help expand Oxford Houses for others.
granted within thirty days. The "conditional"
CHARTER usually sets a specific time period for the ❏❏❏
new group to obtain a house and get organized. If it
does not obtain a house or get organized during the YOU can help your State establish as many
conditional period it becomes void, but the group can self-run, self-supported Oxford recovery
reapply for the CHARTER. If a new house does get houses as are needed to provide an opportunity
properly organized within the conditional period it is for every recovering individual who wants a
granted a regular permanent CHARTER. supportive, alcohol and drug-free place to
live... TAKE ACTION TODAY!
It is important to obtain a CHARTER because it
permits the new group to enjoy all the advantages of
being part of the Oxford House network of recovery Oxford House, Inc. is the winner of the 2005
houses. As part of that network the new group is able Harry V. McNeill Award for
Effective Community Service
to receive assistance to make sure that the new house
American Psychological Association
works. Moreover, the new house is able to share the
strength, experience and support of all other Oxford As discussed on page 17 of this paper, our web site:
Houses. Together recovering individuals and recovery www.oxfordhouse.org provides additional information
houses help each other help themselves. about Oxford House history, vacancies and research.

Oxford House World Services• 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300• Silver Spring • Maryland 20910
Telephone (301) 587-2916• Fax (301) 589-0302• Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org

14
 Good Houses in Good Neighborhoods Oxford House
Highlights
Oxford House-Mutual, at the left, was established in
September 2001 in Omaha, Nebraska. It provides
home at any given time to eleven recovering women
and children who had been homeless during their • 9,824 Number of Oxford
active addiction. Since established, more than 150 Recovery Beds
recovering women and several dozen children have
lived in the house. Projecting the DePaul University
study sponsored by NIAAA, more than 80 percent of • 1,303 Number of Oxford
the residents in this house have become clean and Houses as of December
sober and will stay that way. 2008

Creating an Effective National Recovery Network One House at a Time

• 42 Number of States
having Oxford House
National Oxford House Resident Profile1
• 383 Number of towns or
Number of Women’s Houses: 321 No. of Women Residents: 2,337
cities having Oxford
Number of Houses For Men: 982 No. of Men Residents: 7,487 Houses
National Network of Houses: 1,303 Total Number of Residents: 9,824
• $1,480 average monthly
Number of States with Houses: 42 Cities with Houses: 383 income of residents
Cost Per Person Per Week: $98.75 Rent Per Group Per Month $1,380
• $98.75 average weekly
Percent Veterans 18% Average Age 36.2 yrs. share of expenses paid
Residents Working 6/15/08: 91% Average Monthly Earnings: $1,440 by Oxford residents

Percent Addicted To Drugs or Percent Addicted to Only

Drugs and Alcohol: 73% Alcohol: 27% • 53% of Oxford House
residents had been
Race -- Marital Status -- homeless for an average
White; 54% Never Married 45% of 6 months
Black; 42% Separated 18%
Other 4% Divorced 33% • 73% addicted to drugs
Married 4% in addition of alcohol

Prior Homelessness: 53% Average Time Homeless: 6 Mos. • 76% had done jail time
Prior Jail: 76% Average Jail Time: 13 Mos.
connected to their
addiction
Average AA or NA Meetings Percent Going To
Per Week: 5.1 Counseling and AA or NA: 44%
• 16.5 months average
Average Length of Sobriety of Residents Expelled length of sobriety
House Residents: 16.5 Mos. Because of Relapse: 19.4%

Average Length of Stay In An Average No. of Applicants • 129 New Houses started
Oxford House: 10.1 Mos. For Each Vacant Bed: 13 CY 20082

• 46 for Women; 84 Men

• Total Added Recovery

“Time For Recovery” Beds: 1,017; Men: 661;
Women: 356

2
There is a net gain of 41 houses over prior year
1 since 88 houses throughout the country closed or
As of June 30, 2008 based on standard OHI survey and house reports. were consolidated to improve quality control.

15
 Using the Oxford House Website

The Oxford House website is an important tool for the recovery community – treatment providers, drug
courts, churches, re-entry programs, AA/NA/CA members – individual Oxford Houses and the general
public. It reflects the principle of transparency by showing everything that anyone wants to know
about Oxford House from financial reporting and basic information about house locations and vacancies
to leading edge research and legal precedents. Beginning last June, every Oxford House Chapter
[mutually-supportive groups of individual Oxford Houses] began the process of educating the officers
of each house to log onto the website immediately in order to accurately report vacancies and to keep
data about their individual house up-to-date. Accurate data about each house – by having the
Secretary for each house update the web immediately when there is a change in vacancies, house
address or telephone number – is a goal that all Oxford Houses want to achieve by the end of 2008.

Quick links on the website include up-to-date house location and vacancies in three places: click
“Vacancies” on home page for a pop up map showing location and current vacancy status; click
“Directory” under heading “Houses” to get a listing by state of individual house location and vacancy
data, or click “Vacancy Search” under houses.

Get an overview of Oxford House by viewing the 10-minute segment of the May 5, 1991 CBS “60
Minutes” program about Oxford House. Also download PDF documents about Oxford House by clicking
“Publications/General” and scroll down to “Oxford House – The Model” or look at the 2007 Annual
Report by clicking “About/Us/Finances” and scrolling down to the “2007 Annual Report.” It presents a
good description of how Oxford House World Services is able to help states and other develop and
maintain strong, effective Oxford Houses, Chapters and State Associations. “About Us” also recounts
the history of the Oxford House Movement.

House members and the public can download the basic manuals that set forth the concept and
disciplined operating practices that make the network of nearly 1,300 Oxford House work by clicking
“Manuals” and downloading the complete text. The basic manual is in either English or Spanish.

Under “Publications” three important categories are available – General, Legal or Evaluations. From
the “General” category house residents and others can get basic forms, newsletters and manuals.
Providers, researchers or the public will find the “Fifteen State Profile” showing data about who lives in
Oxford Houses. Under “Legal” law review articles and lead cases can be downloaded showing the civil
rights afforded Oxford House residents under the Federal Fair Housing Act [FHA] and Americans with
Disabilities Act [ADA]. Under “Evaluations” both the independent selected studies of DePaul University
in Chicago are available and as are selected state evaluations derived from internal research.

“Links” provides an easy access to separate websites maintain by various Oxford House State
Associations, Treatment Providers throughout the country, key self-help program websites, and an up-
to-date directory of state agencies dealing with substance abuse treatment and prevention.

Finally, there is a direct way to “Contact” Oxford House World Services with any question or issue of
interest to residents or the public. All inquiries are responded to by World Services within a few hours.

Learn the many resources available from the Oxford House website and use them to join with the
Oxford House family in its quest to provide every recovering individual with a realistic opportunity to
live in an Oxford House to become comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse – forever.

16
 Outreach Workers Provide Frontline Development Expertise

Task Action of Outreach Worker

1. Finding a suitable house  The outreach worker has been trained to recognize the
characteristics of suitable house to rent.
 The outreach workers know how to execute a legal lease between
the landlord and the group or entity that is made up of ever
changing residents.
 The outreach worker is able to answer zoning questions – in a
general way – and is backed up by the expertise of the central
service office in Silver Spring.

2. Obtaining a charter from  Outreach worker helps newly recovering individuals to fill out the
charter application form and submits it to Oxford House, Inc. to get
Oxford House Inc. a “conditional” charter that is valid for up to six months.

 Outreach worker helps the new group to fulfill the requirements of

the “conditional” charter so that the group can be granted a
“permanent” charter.

3. Obtaining an FEIN [federal  Since the mid-eighties every bank account needs either a social
security number [in the case of an individual] or a FEIN [in the case
tax identification number] from of a group, association, partnership or corporation]. The outreach
IRS to enable the group to worker processes the paperwork to obtain a FEIN and helps the
group to establish a checking account in the name of the individual
establish a checking account in Oxford House™.
the name of the group.  Establishes the two-signature checking account and teaches the
residents how to manage house finances.

4. Recruiting initial residents for  Working with treatment providers and the recovery community to
explain the value of Oxford House living to get referrals.
the new house.
 Convincing a newly recovering individual that living in an Oxford
House™ provides the time, peer support and living environment to
gain comfortable sobriety without relapse.

5. Teaching residents in a newly  Teaching new residents the need for a weekly business meeting and
the procedures to follow.
established Oxford House the
 Helping the residents elect the five essential officers needed to
standard system of operations operate each house and teaching each person the duties of each
needed to effectively operate the office holder.
house.  Helping the residents get the household furnishing needed for the
house [from beds to brooms].
 Story telling while living in the house to infuse the group with the
belief and culture of Oxford House™ and its role in promoting
recovery without relapse.

6. Instilling a dedication among  Teaching residents how to make presentations to providers to get
new recruits.
house residents to reach out to
 Promotion of expansion within an area to meet the need of newly
other recovering individuals to recovering individuals and to organize a mutually supportive chapter.
share the benefits of Oxford
 Building a habit of attending 12-step meetings and the
House living. encouragement of frequent contact between residents and Oxford
House World Services to resolve house issues, promote expansion
and to become an active participant in on-going expansion.

The chart above diagrams the tasks that Oxford House outreach workers undertake to develop statewide networks of
houses. Once established one outreach worker is able to keep up to thirty or forty houses on track because of the
system of organization – houses, Chapters and State Associations – and training workshops.
17
In 2005 the NIAAA and NIDA
funded studies produced great results. Creating Communities
The AP story below says it all!
Community - Based Homes Seem to For Addiction Recovery
Help Addicts

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Oxford House Model
Filed at 12:41 p.m. ET; August 18, 2005
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Self-supporting group
homes have high success rates in helping
Edited by Leonard A. Jason, PhD
individuals recover from alcoholism and drug Professor and Director, Center for Community Research,
addiction, researchers from DePaul University DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois
reported Thursday. A pair of studies being
presented at the annual meeting of the American The Haworth Press, Inc.
Psychological Association found success rates of www.haworthpress.com
65 percent to 87 percent for the homes.

The benefits of communal living include a lower Reviews:

relapse rate and help keep individuals as
productive members of society, reported lead Keith Humphreys, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry,
author Leonard A. Jason. In addition, he noted,
the houses operate at little or no cost to the Stanford University wrote the following about the book:
taxpayer. Jason and co-authors studied residents
of Oxford House, a network of group homes This informative book is at once a systematic evaluation of an importan t
across the country serving recovering addicts.
Each resident pays a share of the costs and can intervention for addiction and a vivid illustration of the value of
be evicted if detected using drugs or alcohol. strengths-based community psychology research. Along the way, the
One study compared 75 people who went into authors show how the process of community research and the amount of
anOxford House after detoxification with 75
others who went to halfway houses or returned to knowledge it uncovers are enhanced by a respectful, dynamic
the community. After two years 65 percent of the relationship between academic scientists and community-based
Oxford House residents were still clean and
sober compared to 31 percent of the others, organizations.
Jason said.

The second study began with a national sample Greg Meissen, PhD, Director and Professor of Psychology,
of 897 Oxford House residents. After a year 607 Self-Help Network: Center for Community Support and Research,
remained in the study and, of those, 87 percent
reported they were still off alcohol and drugs. Wichita State University wrote the following about the
Those who dropped out of the study had book:
previously reported higher rates of drug and
alcohol use than those who stayed in, the report
noted. It said those who dropped out were An important book that will give communities and states greater
younger and had spent less time in the home than confidence in supporting the creation of more Oxford Houses, which are
those who remained. critically needed especially now when there are fewer long-term
The program seemed to work equally well for alternatives for those with serious addictions. It is important that the
men and women, the researchers said, and there larger addiction community and gatekeepers learn about Oxford Houses
were no significant differences among racial as they provide a critical element for those who are working to maintain
groups in the program. The Oxford House
program was founded 30 years ago in their sobriety.
Montgomery County, Md., and currently has
1,123 houses across the country and in Canada
and Australia. While some states have loan
programs to help get houses started, each house
is otherwise self-supporting and is governed by
its own residents.

In February 2006, the researches at De

Paul University took the time to
publish Creating Communities for
Addiction Recovery – the Oxford House
Model. It includes thirteen separate
research papers growing out of the data
about Oxford House accumulated over a
dozen years. While it only scratches the
surface of their findings, it is a quality
endorsement of Oxford House that
focuses on the many facets of recovery
enhanced by Oxford House living.

18
 Oxford House
Recovery • Responsibility • Replication

Oxford House celebrates its 33rd year at the 10th Annual World Convention
September 4-7, 2008 realizing that the world network of individual Oxford Houses
is built one house at a time. Thousands of recovering individuals have developed
what the DePaul University Researchers call “Rescued Lives: The Oxford House
Approach to Substance Abuse” by living in hundreds of houses over the last 33
years and using common sense to make democracy, self-support and absolute
sobriety work. Through the efforts of thousands of ordinary members of the
recovery community who became residents and successful alumni of Oxford
House it has become the best practice for assuring that the addict becomes
comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse.

Oxford House – Time for Change, the theme of the 10th Oxford House Annual
Convention, recognizes one of the unique benefits of Oxford House – each person
is different and lives in the supportive environment of an Oxford House until he or
she is comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse. Old-timers remind each of
us “sobriety is habit forming.” It is, but only Oxford House provides open-ended
residency to match the unique ability of each person to master sobriety.

The hard work, dedication, patience, tolerance and organization by the men and
women of Oxford House have made the program the best medical and social
practice to assure that alcoholics and drug addicts have the opportunity to become
comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse. It is they - now in the thousands –
who can attest to the validity of the theme Oxford House – Time for Recovery.

In Australia, Canada and the United States the Oxford House idea has been
planted; may it grow to provide every alcoholic and drug addict the opportunity to
rescue the rest of their lives from the hopelessness of addiction to the rewards of
good citizenship and happiness for themselves, their families, their communities
and their nations.

Oxford House World Services, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
(301) 587-2916 • Fax (301) 589-0302 • Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org
19
 Oxford House™
1975-2008
33 Years of Organized Self-Help To Enable Alcoholics and Drug Addicts to
Recover Without Relapse

♦ Sole Authority for Oxford House Charters

♦ Providing Technical Assistance to Establish New Oxford Houses
♦ Providing Technical Assistance to Keep Existing Oxford Houses
on Track
♦ Providing Organization of Chapters to Help Houses Help
Themselves
♦ Providing the Time, Living Environment and Support to Enable
Alcoholics and Drug Addicts to Achieve Recovery Without
Relapse
♦ Providing the Legal, Philosophical, and Scientific Framework for a
Cost-effective, Worldwide Network of Supportive Recovery
Housing.

Write or Call

Oxford House World Services

1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Telephone 301-587-2916
Facsimile 301-589-0302

E-Mail [email protected]
Web Site: www.oxfordhouse.org