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Why Build Drug Treatment Centers in Residential Neighborhoods?

When a drug addict or alcoholic finally decides to get help, she often checks into a treatment program. Many programs last only 30 days. But the addict is not always ready to make it on her own after a month of treatment. Hence the proliferation of residential treatment facilities. These halfway houses provide safety in numbers as addicts either live with a supervisor or as a self-governing unit.

  1. The Quest for Peace and Health

    • The main reason addiction treatment centers are built in residential neighborhoods is that recovering addicts want to be safe. They prefer to be somewhere removed from open drug dealing and other negative influences. Recovering addicts are learning to live healthy lives, which is much easier to do in peaceful surroundings.

    Oxford Houses

    • Oxford House is the biggest network of sober living houses. Since 1975, when the first Oxford House opened in Silver Springs, Maryland, these self-governing houses have proliferated nationwide. According to the Oxford House website, "By renting good houses in good neighborhoods, we have demonstrated that we can be good neighbors all over the country." Oxford House claims that property values increase on the blocks where its houses are located. At any one time, 10,000 recovering addicts live in Oxford Houses. The group believes in transparency. It makes the locations of its houses public knowledge.

    Lessons from Rimrock

    • The Rimrock Foundation of Billings, Montana, founded in 1968, is another early pioneer of addiction treatment. After many years of treating addicts in large facilities, it opened Michel's House in 2001. This four-plex housed recovering women and their children. The mothers learned parenting and job skills while receiving treatment for addiction. The house was so successful that Rimrock quickly expanded by renting more houses. The expansion met with neighborhood opposition. But some neighbors were won over once they saw good results. Jim Gainan, who lived near one of Rimrock's houses, told the Billings Gazette, "Treatment works---of that, there is no doubt. Consequently, I will tender my support in the future in whatever way I can---whether it be in my own backyard or not."

    Neighborhood Opposition

    • Despite many examples of residential treatment centers being good neighbors, community fears persist. The biggest worry is that the addicts will not be successful in giving up their vice, instead attracting drugs and drug-related crime into the neighborhood. Many lawsuits have been filed to ban residential treatment centers. Official reasons have included arguing that the homes are medical facilities or businesses, and thus illegally zoned, and that the number of residents surpasses the legal limit for unrelated adults sharing a home.

    Laws Protecting Residential Treatment Centers

    • Legal strategies treatment centers use for fighting neighborhood opposition include invoking the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. All three of these acts cover people with disabilities against housing discrimination. Addiction is covered by the legal definition of disability. Many lawsuits have been successful. But sometimes the fight is just too ugly, and the recovery organization drops the battle in favor of seeking friendlier neighbors elsewhere.

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