Oxford House USA

Oxford House USAThe development of the Oxford House model began in Maryland, USA, in 1975 when a half-way house operated by the local County was facing closure due to lack of funds. The house was actually leased to the County by a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), who suggested to the men in the house that they may actually like to take over the lease themselves. The men discussed this proposition and realized that one of the major costs of a traditional half-way house was the paid staff who supported the residents. Thus they decided to go ahead with taking up the lease of the house, with the understanding that the group would self manage the house and all associated functions such as the rent and expenses. They would also be able to vote out of the house anyone who lapsed into alcohol or other drug use. They decided to name the house "Oxford House" due to them all having a strong association with AA, and in recognition of the role the Oxford Group had played in influencing the founders of AA. They also apparently felt that the word "Oxford" gave the house a "touch of class" (Molloy 1992). As the house could not afford a manager/support staff it was necessarily set up on democratic principles and the men developed a manual of operations which detailed how the house should run. Within 6 months the house had actually made a surplus which the residents decided should be used as the basis to set up another house. Thus a second house was then established with the surplus money from the first house and with a couple of experienced residents of the first house guiding development of the new house. In this way the houses continued to develop so that by 1988 there were 14 houses operational, mainly in the Washington DC area (Oxford Houses 1988). As of November 2002 Over 1000 houses have now been established across the US.