Oxford House - Bliss

Oxford House, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1975, oversees a network of over 3,500 self-run, self-supported recovery residences across 47 states, providing community-based, supportive, and sober living environments for individuals in recovery from substance use disorders. The Oxford House Model, an evidence-based practice recognized by the federal government, enables residents to live together in drug- and alcohol-free homes where they democratically govern through elected officers with six-month terms, share equal expenses, and support one another without external authority or time limits, as long as they maintain sobriety, pay their share, and remain non-disruptive. Originating when residents took over a closing halfway house in Silver Spring, Maryland, the model emphasizes recovery, responsibility, and replication, encouraging long-term stays (average one year, many longer) to foster leadership, self-efficacy, and relapse prevention, with research from DePaul University showing over 80% long-term sobriety rates, reduced substance use, criminal involvement, and improved employment outcomes compared to usual care. Oxford House, Inc. issues no-cost charters, provides technical assistance via field staff, and facilitates expansion through chapters, state associations, and the World Council, while promoting active participation in AA/NA for continued sobriety, serving diverse populations including women with children, veterans, and those with co-occurring disorders, all while remaining non-professional, autonomous, and financially self-sustaining.