I am an Oxford House alumni. When I was in early recovery, I needed to leave a toxic relationship with a man who would not get clean to maintain my sobriety. I did not yet have the finances for independent living, so local Oxford Housing in Roanoke, Virginia was my only option. 

Oxford Houses are democratically self-governing and self-supporting under the Oxford House system of operations. During my time there, I lived with 6 other women in recovery. We learned to run the house together. We learned to pay bills together, we worked together to solve conflicts, we held each other accountable. I was at a point in my recovery where I did not need a paid staff member to hold me accountable, but did need the direction of my peers in recovery. We guided each other with what we were learning in real time. 

I stayed in Oxford with my "sisters" for ten months, saving money and re-learning how to live. We attended meetings and expressed ourselves and followed the rules. From this model, I learned how to be independent again within the reasonable expectations of society. Without the support of my peers in Oxford easing me back into the real world and teaching me how to pay bills on time and approach conflicts, I would not have been successful transitioning back to independent living. 

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.

Thank you for your consideration.