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Now in Hudson: Oxford House, a model for recovery

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By DEBORAH E. LANS

HUDSON–There are 4,400 Oxford Houses in the U.S. and one opened in November 2024 in Hudson. The houses follow a model that provides safe and supportive housing in a peer-lead environment for those in recovery from substance use disorders. Nationally, about one-third of residents suffer from alcohol use, and two-thirds suffer drug use, disorders.

After Columbia County was awarded roughly $1 million from the funds received by the state through the settlement of the state’s lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and others, county Board of Supervisors Chair Matt Murell (Stockport) asked Daniel Almasi, Director of Community Services and Head of the county’s Department of Human Services (DHS), to recommend uses for the funds that would address the needs of those afflicted, among other things, by opioid use.

In early 2024, DHS gathered groups of stakeholders and held listening sessions to assess the needs of and services available to the recovery community. One of the gaps identified was in housing for those leaving residential treatment programs like the Red Door — a 28- to 90-day facility for men in Hudson — or Riverside — a similar facility for women located in Greene County. The need was for a kind of “step down” residential program, offering a less restrictive but still supportive housing environment that was also affordable.

John Cahill, who started working for the county as a case manager and is now the county’s Recovery Coordinator, urged Mr. Almasi to look at the Oxford House model as a way to meet the gap. Mr. Cahill had lived in an Oxford House in New Jersey during his own recovery some years before and had seen the successes of the program.

Presentations to legislators in each of Columbia and Greene counties followed, and each county committed $90,000 from the opioid settlement funds toward the creation of an Oxford House — one for men in Columbia County and one for women in Greene County. The facility in Columbia County opened in a formerly two-family home on Parkwood Boulevard near Fairview Avenue in Hudson on November 1, 2024. A facility is expected to open in 2025 in Greene County.

Of the $90,000 committed, $70,000 is allocated to Oxford House Inc. and staffing and $20,000 to setting up each house with beds, dressers, kitchen and laundry equipment and the like. The set-up cost is sufficiently low that when demand exceeds the capacity of the current house, opening an additional house will be relatively inexpensive (roughly $20,000), as there is already an Oxford House presence in the community.

The population of a typical house is 8-10 people — either all men or all women, though a parent may have his/her children in the home. The rooms are either single or double occupancy, and every house also has one or more kitchens and common spaces for eating and gathering.

Jamonte Johnson is the Oxford House Outreach Worker for the house in Hudson. Mr. Johnson is himself in long-term recovery. Sober since February 7, 2018, Mr. Johnson lived in an Oxford House in Tennessee beginning in early 2019. In time, he joined Oxford House, Inc. and trained as a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate.

To qualify to live in an Oxford House, a prospective resident must be and remain sober, be self-supporting and pay his share of household expenses, which are divided equally among the residents and include rent, food and utilities. The members vote on admitting a new member, and the members act as a house, not as individuals, in reviewing the books of the house and setting and enforcing rules. Everyone has a role in shopping, cooking, cleaning and management of the house. The members meet weekly to discuss whatever issues may need to be addressed, and every member is accountable to the others.

As Mr. Johnson puts it, for most substance abusers one of the things “lost in the sauce is life skills,” and one of the benefits of living in an Oxford House is acquiring those skills. In addition, gaining and maintaining employment is a goal, though not requirement, of the program.

Members can stay in an Oxford House as long as they want, pay their share and stay “clean.” If a member relapses, he may reapply 30 days after returning to sobriety. The typical stay is 8-10 months. Research conducted by DePaul University has found that when an individual stays that length of time in the program, he has an 87% chance of remaining substance-free for the long-term, a success rate that far exceeds other programs.

The opposite of addiction is connection.’

–Jamonte Johnson
Oxford House Outreach Worker

That rate is attributed to the commonality and connection achieved in the co-housing context — because “the opposite of addiction is connection,” according to Mr. Johnson. The peer support of those who have experienced similar traumas and are on similar paths to recovery is instrumental. So too are the learnings about accountability and responsibility.

Oxford House deliberately seeks out houses in desirable areas that are also proximal to shopping, therapeutic and other services, as many residents do not have cars. In Hudson, Mr. Johnson located the residence and has made it a point to connect with others in the neighborhood to explain the program. He has found a warm reception.

Rent for the Hudson house is $5,200/month which means each resident pays $250/week, an amount that covers rent and utilities but not the cost of food, toiletries or personal expenses. DHS’s Mr. Almasi observes that — as Oxford House is without expense to the county except for the set up and staff — it is a cost-effective solution to both a treatment and a housing issue. Without options like the Oxford House, those in recovery have difficulty finding housing. Many have spotty employment or criminal histories and, accordingly, are disfavored by landlords. Affordability is, of course, also an issue.

As a result, many in recovery find themselves unhoused or returning to already-fraught family situations. If the former, the costs to the county of housing in motels which are distant from, and lacking in any on-site, supportive services, far outweighs the Oxford house investment.

More importantly, studies of the 50-year-old Oxford House model have found it to be a “research-proven best practice” and evidence-based program that significantly improves addiction treatment outcomes. It has been repeatedly cited by the federal government for enhancing the quality of recovery support services.

By substantially improving the odds of long-term sobriety, the program not only improves the emotional and financial lives of its residents and their families but avoids the many costs associated with relapse – be it involvement in the justice system, imprisonment, disruption of a family or loss of employment. One DePaul University study found that after two years the Oxford House residents had one-half the relapse rate, more than double the monthly income and one-third the incarceration rate of those in other programs or in no structured post-care setting.

Surveys also have found that the Oxford members had higher scores in areas of social adjustment, such as practical orientation, involvement with others, autonomy, organization and clarity. For women in the program, the odds of regaining custody of their children that was lost due to their addiction lifestyle more than doubled.

Given the successes and cost benefits of the model, Mr. Almasi, Mr. Cahill and Mr. Johnson hope that more Oxford Houses will be opened in the county to meet the needs of those in recovery.

To contact reporter Deborah Lans, email deborahlans@icloud.com.

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