Oxford Houses - Council Bluffs

Oxford House Bluffs is an ordinary rented house in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in Pottawattamie County, run by the women who live in it. It has room for 9 residents. Residents here can bring their children with them.

There is no staff here and nobody is a patient. The residents hold the charter themselves, elect their own officers, and divide the rent, utilities and household bills between them, which is what keeps a week here within reach of someone just back at work. The charter comes down to three rules: run the house democratically, pay its own way, and immediately expel anyone who goes back to drinking or using. Nobody leaves on a schedule — most arrive after detox or a residential program and stay until they are ready to go.