Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Sep 1;36(7):947-958.
doi: 10.1002/jcop.20259.

Counteracting 'Not in My Backyard': The Positive Effects of Greater Occupancy within Mutual-help Recovery Homes

Leonard A Jason  1 , David R Groh, Megan Durocher, Josefina Alvarez, Darrin M Aase, Joseph R Ferrari
Affiliations

Counteracting 'Not in My Backyard': The Positive Effects of Greater Occupancy within Mutual-help Recovery Homes

Leonard A Jason et al. J Community Psychol. .

Abstract

Group homes sometimes face significant neighborhood opposition, and municipalities frequently use maximum occupancy laws to close down these homes. This study examined how the number of residents in Oxford House recovery homes impacted residents' outcomes. Larger homes (i.e., 8 or more residents) may reduce the cost per person and offer more opportunities to exchange positive social support, thus, it was predicted that larger Oxford Houses would exhibit improved outcomes compared to smaller homes. Regression analyses using data from 643 residents from 154 U.S. Oxford Houses indicated that larger House size predicted less criminal and aggressive behavior; additionally, length of abstinence was a partial mediator in these relationships. These findings have been used in court cases to argue against closing down larger Oxford Houses. 125 words.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Aamodt MG, Chiglinksy M. A meta-analytic review of the effects of residential homes on neighborhood property values and crime rates. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. 1989;5:20–24.
    1. Baron RM, Kenny DA. The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychology research: Conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1986;51:1173–1182. - PubMed
    1. Beattie MC, Longabaugh R, Elliott G, Stout RL, Fava J, Noel NE. Effect of the social environment on alcohol involvement and subjective well-being prior to alcoholism treatment. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 1993;54:283–296. - PubMed
    1. Butterfield DI. Neighbors’ perception of outdoor spaces surrounding group Houses for the developmentally disabled adult. Environmental Design Research Association. 1983;14:91–104.
    1. Center for Community Corrections, in Partnership with Doble Research Associates, Inc. Public outreach and halfway houses research and intergovernmental solutions final report: Summary of Findings. 2002. Aug,

LinkOut - more resources