I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed recovery house regulations in their current form.

I have been part of the Oxford House community and family for over 5 years, having resided in Oxford House-Kenwood in Salem, VA. Before Oxford House, I never thought I could become the person I am today. Oxford House made that transformation possible for me, just as it has for thousands before me and will for thousands after me. Oxford Houses save lives, and independent research consistently shows that our peer-run model yields the best long-term recovery outcomes.

While I fully support rules and standards that keep residents safe, regulations that require 24/7 staff or assume every recovery home operates as a commercial business would prevent 186 Oxford Houses from continuing to operate in Virginia.

Please adjust these proposed rules to clarify that house members themselves are the resident-operators, ensuring that democratically run, self-supporting peer recovery homes can continue saving lives across the Commonwealth