Submitted by Homes First
When Homes First was formed in 1990, two of our first projects were recovery homes for clean and sober living with Oxford House International. This is one of many successful community partnerships formed by Homes First to support the people in our communities who have the hardest time finding and retaining homes.
Imagine that your life or the life of someone you love has taken a turn and you are exiting incarceration or rehab after chemical dependency treatment. How likely will you or your loved one find a successful future if you return to the same place and the same life you lived before treatment?
This is where the partnership with Homes First and Oxford House comes in. The first Oxford House was established in 1975 in Silver Spring, Maryland. From the beginning the group rejected ownership of any property and continued to rent – not purchase – single-family houses in good neighborhoods to establish new Oxford Houses. Homes First supports that model and has five homes in Thurston County that house over 50 people annually.
Oxford House is self-help supportive housing for those in recovery from a Substance Use Disorder. Each house must be chartered by Oxford House, Inc., the nonprofit umbrella organization for the network of Oxford Houses. Each Oxford House follows standardized operations developed through 44 years of Oxford House experience.
A safe and affordable home is key to the success of the participants in the Oxford House International program. To hear from one person who has benefited from this unique partnership, check out this YouTube video and hear Andrea’s story.
To learn more about this program or how you can invest in making this opportunity available to more people in our community, contact Shannon at Homes First: development@homesfirst.org or 360.259.5937.
