The only members who will ever be asked to leave an Oxford House are those who return to drinking, using drugs, or have disruptive behavior, including the nonpayment of rent. No Oxford House can tolerate the use of alcohol or drugs by one of its members because that threatens the sobriety of all of the members. Neither can an Oxford House function if some do not pay their fair share of the costs.
In Oxford House, each member equally shares the responsibility for the running of the House and upholding the Oxford House tradition. All aspects of Oxford House operations, from the acquisition of the house to the acceptance or dismissal of members, is carried out under democratic procedures. Each member has one vote and majority rule applies except that 80% of the members must agree in accepting new persons for membership.
Self-run, Self-supported Recovery Houses
These homes are typically found in quiet, nice neighborhoods and offer a drug and alcohol free living environment for those in early recovery. In fact, what is an oxford house creates an environment whereby each member can more fully realize the benefits available from active AA or NA membership. A house full of sober, recovering alcoholics and drug addicts invites informal AA or NA “meetings after the meeting” and each day finds many informal AA or NA meetings before individual members each go off to their regular AA or NA meeting.
Those Amendments make it unlawful for any jurisdiction to discriminate against congregate living for the disabled. There is no need to seek prior approval for leasing to an Oxford House, and Oxford House, Inc. will legally defend any claim of zoning violation made by localities still unfamiliar with the federal law. During our drinking and drug use years, and even before, many of us found it difficult to accept authority. Many individuals in society are able to abide by the strict letter of any rule, regulation , or law.
What Do Your Costs Cover?
Through chapters individual houses are able to share their experience, strength and hope with each other to assure compliance with the Oxford House concept and its respected standardized system of operations. An underlying principle of Oxford House is that each individual member has the ability to be responsible for himself. Living within an Oxford House provides both the opportunity and motivation for all residents to regularly attend AA and/or NA meetings. The example of Oxford House members going to AA or NA meetings on their own is contagious. It has been the experience of Oxford House that participation in AA and NA is extremely high in an environment where one individual can see another individual, with the same disease, reaping great benefits from AA and/or NA participation.
Those democratic principles will also enable the members of a particular Oxford House to take pride in their new found responsibility. The opportunity for a house to democratically function requires periodic meetings within the house — at least once a week. Such meetings should be used to resolve any operational or personality problems facing the house. A guest house is a smaller dwelling on the property of a main residence that will accommodate guests of the homeowner. A guest house can be used as investment property if you rent it out (when legal to do so). Repayment from those start-up loans assures the continuation of the revolving fund to enable other new houses to get started — just as repayment of loans to chapters permits the same resources to be used again and again.
If You Love Homes With Guest Houses, Then You May Also Like:
First, it has on-site support by dedicated members of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Dozens of individuals active in those programs have the Oxford House toll-free telephone number and call Oxford House headquarters if a particular house is not strictly carrying out its responsibilities under its charter. Getting sober and staying sober is serious business for these recovering individuals and their dedication to helping others achieve sobriety is unsurpassed. A guest house will require many of the same features of an actual home – just on a smaller level. These features include running water, electricity, a bathroom, living space, bedroom, and a kitchen. Some higher-end guest houses can also include more rooms and living spaces, as well as parking, and laundry amenities.
- This element of group responsibility is integral to Oxford House’s treatment efficacy.
- Within an Oxford House group, it is not unusual to find some members who have problems which cannot be dealt with by the group.
- The private backyard hosts a large covered patio complete with wood treatments, beautiful pool w/water feature, fire pit, built-in BBQ and more.
Starting new Houses through the mutual assistance of existing Oxford Houses is a tradition because each House was started with the help of existing Houses and tends to pass on to others that which they received. Once more applications are received than there are beds available, the members of any Oxford House will begin to look around for another suitable house. When they find such a house they will bring it up with the other existing Houses and if there is a consensus they will attempt to find the start up money and members to fill the new house.
Oxford House Recovery Homes
John Stanton, one of the Washington, DC attorneys handling that case, has written a law review article covering the entire matter of discrimination under the Fair Housing Act, as amended, and the rights of disabled individuals. Oxford Houses are rented family houses where groups of recovering individuals live together in an environment supportive to recovery from addiction. Each house is self-run and financially self-supported following a standardized system of democratic operation. Each group obtains a Charter from Oxford House Inc., which is the umbrella organization for the international network of individual Oxford Houses. Oxford Houses are considered single family residences for purposes of zoning. This has always been true in practice, and since March 12, 1989, the effective date of the 1988 Amendments to the Federal Fair Housing Act, it has been true as a matter of law.
