Clean housing group opens 2 more locations in Regina
Alex Soloducha | CBC News | Posted: June 6, 2017 10:04 PM | Last Updated: June 6, 2017
Recovering addicts pay $620 per month for private room
Regina residents recovering from addictions now have more affordable housing options in the city.
On Tuesday, the Oxford House Society of Regina opened two locations, bringing their total to five.
Executive director Blair Pope said the non-profit organization provides housing and support for individuals who have just recently completed an addictions program and have committed to sobriety.
"They need a place to stay and support to get their lives back in order and that's what we do."
Residency comes with expectations
Oxford House opened its first home in 2010, and now has 20 beds for men and five for women.
The average stay in the homes is six and a half months, although there is no limit on the length of stays.
Individuals who choose to live there must be working or attending school. The organization helps people find jobs and any addictions counselling they may need.
Residents buy their own food and cook for themselves, but kitchen supplies, linens and furniture are provided.
In return, residents pay member fees rather than rent, to cover basics like mortgage or lease, insurance and utilities. Currently, they each pay $620 a month for private rooms and have access to shared public spaces.
Democracy and socialization
Pope said this set-up protects residents from isolation.
"The whole idea of this concept is for socialization," he said.
The organization has seen success over the past seven years, although not with every individual.
Pope said it comes down to how committed people are to turning their life around. If they give in to their addictions, they are evicted.
Besides staying clean and sober, tenants are expected to have positive attitudes and keep the house in order. A housing supervisor goes from house to house on a regular basis, visiting each one at least twice a week.
"We don't dictate. They [residents] decide how the house is run," Pope said. "They take responsibility and ownership of where they're living."
Honouring influencers
The new houses in Regina were named after influential people who made the organization possible in the city, said Pope.
The first, dubbed June House, was named after former minister of social services June Draude.
"She was instrumental in getting us on the map in the first place as far as government was concerned," Pope said. "She had an open mind and an open heart and she was the individual who we appealed to to get the ball rolling in Saskatchewan."
The other, named Richards House, honours Jimmy and Rebecca Richards, who brought the Oxford House idea to Regina from Calgary.