Oxford House - Remo
3802 Balsam Dr, Columbus, IN 47203
Oxford House, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that pioneered the Oxford House Model in 1975, providing self-run, self-supported, and democratically governed recovery homes for individuals recovering from substance use disorders.
Founded when residents of a closing halfway house in Silver Spring, Maryland, took over the property to continue their sobriety journey, Oxford House emphasizes three core principles: recovery through peer support, responsibility via shared household duties and equal financial contributions, and replication to expand access nationwide.
Each Oxford House is a gender-specific, rented single-family home accommodating at least six residents, where members elect officers for six-month terms, interview and vote on new applicants, and enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy for drug and alcohol use, with no time limits on stays as long as members remain sober, non-disruptive, and pay their equal expense share.
This evidence-based model, supported by over 25 years of research from DePaul University and recognized by SAMHSA, has grown to over 3,500 houses across 47 states, serving more than 24,000 individuals annually, including those with co-occurring mental health issues, veterans, women with children, and diverse populations, fostering long-term sobriety rates exceeding 80%, improved employment, reduced incarceration, and community integration without external management or professional staffing.
What we treat
Treatment & Programs
Levels of Care
Oxford House - Remo provides an entirely peer-run sober living environment designed to bridge the gap between initial treatment and fully independent life. Rather than operating as a clinical step-down program with external management, the house functions as a self-sustaining home where residents hold one another accountable. Members can stay as long as they choose, provided they remain completely abstinent and fulfill their household responsibilities.
Therapies
Because this is an entirely peer-led recovery home, Oxford House - Remo does not employ clinical staff or utilize formal therapies. Instead of engaging in structured medical modalities on-site, residents rely on mutual support, shared lived experience, and personal motivation. Residents typically engage fully in outside self-help groups to maintain a strong individualized recovery program.
Addictions
The democratic model at this Columbus residence is built for individuals recovering from both alcoholism and drug addiction. Utilizing a strict zero-tolerance approach, any resident who returns to using drugs or alcohol is immediately expelled to protect the sobriety of the group. This peer-accountability framework consistently supports lasting recovery from varied histories of extensive substance use.
Conditions
While primarily structured to support those overcoming substance use disorders, the home also welcomes individuals managing co-occurring mental illnesses. Because there is no professional staffing onsite, residents must be stable enough to independently manage their own psychiatric medications. Through everyday routine and shared responsibility, members build the self-efficacy needed to function well alongside their mental health challenges.
Issues
The supportive network within the house naturally addresses the practical life stressors that often accompany early recovery, from housing insecurity to job loss. By pooling resources and paying an equal expense share, members establish financial stability while rebuilding steady employment habits. Additionally, longitudinal studies note that this specific living arrangement helps individuals greatly reduce ongoing criminal justice issues.
Programs
Operating strictly under the time-tested Oxford House Model, the residence is entirely democratically self-run. Household members elect officers for six-month terms and rely on parliamentary procedures to vote on everything from house rules to new applicant interviews. This abstinence-oriented, peer-led framework fosters profound self-responsibility without ever relying on a traditional house manager.
On-site
Amenities
Designed to look and feel like an ordinary neighborhood residence, this single-family home features shared rooms that intentionally prevent isolation and encourage connection among newer members. The household shares basic comforts like cable television and everyday living spaces to establish a genuine family dynamic. Residents collectively manage chores to maintain the property, ensuring the environment remains clean, organized, and highly conducive to recovery.
Coverage
Payment
Financial independence is a vital philosophy of the home, with each resident contributing an Equal Expense Share that covers rent, utilities, and basic household staples. This self-payment structure means every member pays the precise same weekly or monthly amount, keeping overall costs highly accessible. By avoiding outside funding or insurance dependence, the house is able to sustain itself autonomously.
Please contact the facility directly to verify insurance coverage and payment options. Many facilities offer free insurance verification.
Eligibility
Who We Serve
Built to serve individuals steadily committed to their recovery journey, Oxford House - Remo supports adults ready for a fully independent yet communal living arrangement. While the broader organization operates homes across Indiana for both men and women, each specific rented residence is strictly gender-separate to foster safety and focus. Members come from all walks of life, bound by a shared desire to stay clean and sober.
Additional Services
The backbone of the household is its unwavering emphasis on peer support, where daily interactions act as the primary catalyst for continued sobriety. Beyond the immediate living arrangement, residents are actively encouraged to engage with the broader alumni program once they eventually move out in good standing. This continued integration ensures individuals remain connected to a far-reaching sober community well after their stay concludes.
About
Facility Info
Located in Columbus, Indiana, this residence is chartered under Oxford House, Inc., a historic nonprofit organization advocating for recovery housing since 1975. The home is seamlessly integrated into a traditional residential neighborhood to help members relearn how to be responsible citizens and respectful neighbors. The environment is entirely decentralized, operating successfully without any corporate ownership or hospital affiliation.
Credentials
Accreditations
Oxford Houses are federally recognized by SAMHSA and were historically listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. Furthermore, the model has been backed by over 25 years of independent longitudinal research from DePaul University's Center for Community Research. These continuous studies routinely confirm that residents experience uniquely high rates of long-term abstinence.
- 3802 Balsam Dr, Columbus, IN 47203
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