I am an AA sponsor for someone who currently lives in an Oxford House, and I have seen firsthand how important this type of recovery housing can be.

Recovery requires more than simply not drinking or using drugs. It requires learning how to live responsibly again, becoming accountable to other people, rebuilding trust, and developing a stable way of life. Oxford House gives people in recovery an opportunity to do exactly that while living alongside others who understand what recovery requires.

I believe the self-governing aspect of Oxford House is especially important. The residents are not simply living in a facility where someone else makes all of the decisions for them. They have responsibilities to one another and to the house. They learn to resolve problems, manage their obligations, hold one another accountable, and participate in decisions that affect their home. Those are the same skills that help people build stable and productive lives outside the house.

As a sponsor, I strongly value recovery environments that reinforce personal responsibility, accountability, fellowship, and independence. In my experience, Oxford House provides exactly that kind of environment. I hope Virginia will preserve and support the self-governing model that makes Oxford House different and allows people in recovery to help one another build lasting, independent lives.