I lived in  Oxford House Meg Davis in the Lynchburg  areas. Oxford Houses are democratically self-governing and self-supporting under the Oxford House system of operations. 

Living in Oxford House gave me something I did not believe was possible at the time: a real opportunity to rebuild my life. I spent three years in an Oxford House, and I am now approaching six years sober. When I look at the life I have today—having my daughter back, earning my bachelor’s degree, reconnecting with my family, becoming independent, and now having the opportunity to help other women in recovery—I know that none of it would have been possible without Oxford House.

Oxford House was not simply a place where I lived while I stayed sober. It was the foundation that made everything that came afterward possible. It gave me a safe and supportive environment when I needed one most, but it also gave me something equally important: accountability. It taught me how to take responsibility for my life, how to live independently, how to build relationships, and how to become part of a community again.

Before Oxford House, I could not see the life I have today. I could not imagine being the mother I am today, earning a degree, rebuilding my relationships with my family, or becoming someone who could turn around and help another woman find her own path to recovery. Oxford House gave me the time, stability, structure, and community I needed to become the person capable of building that life.

That is why I believe recovery housing matters. We cannot simply tell people to get sober and expect the rest to happen on its own. People need somewhere safe to go, people who hold them accountable, and an environment where they can learn how to live again. For me, Oxford House was that bridge between surviving and actually building a life.

My story is not just a story about addiction or sobriety. It is a story about what becomes possible when someone is given the opportunity, support, and accountability to recover. Nearly six years sober, a mother reunited with her daughter, a college graduate, and a woman now helping others—I am living proof of what Oxford House made possible.

Without Oxford House, I honestly do not know where my life would be today. I do know that the life I have now began there.

I support rules that keep people safe, but rules that require staff or assume every home is a commercial business would keep Oxford Houses from operating in Virginia, even though research shows our model gets the best results. Please change those rules, and please clarify whether house members are considered the operator.