PORT ANGELES — Work is underway to establish new Oxford Houses in Port Angeles, although house owner and contractor Michael Anderson has run into a few hurdles.
Last year, Anderson began the process of establishing two Oxford Houses, which are shared residences where people recovering from addiction live and support each other in a drug- and alcohol-free environment, according to the Oxford House website.
Originally, the homes were owned by Peninsula Behavioral Health (PBH) and sat at 136 and 138 W. Second St.
But when PBH decided to build a 36-unit permanent supportive housing facility at that location, the homes were set to be demolished.
Instead, Anderson agreed to bear the cost of relocating the homes to Oak and Third streets, with the understanding they would become Oxford Houses.
In December, the Port Angeles City Council awarded Anderson an almost $35,000 grant to help relocate the larger, two-story house and relevant utilities, provided it would become an Oxford House by Feb. 15.
However, Anna Rand with Oxford House outreach services said the larger home is likely too big to be part of the program.
Most Oxford Houses are single-family homes, Rand said in December, while the large house has 16 bedrooms and “needs quite a bit of work.”
The smaller home could work with some updates, she said.
When the Feb. 15 deadline was not reached, the city revoked the grant, housing administrator Jalyn Boado said.
“The time was just too short to get everything finished,” Anderson said.
Funds for the grant were derived from the city’s affordable housing sales tax fund, which is dedicated to supportive housing projects.
In a letter written to Anderson, the city encouraged him to submit another application for funds once he gains clarity on how the houses will be used.
If the two-story house is not approved as an Oxford House, Anderson said he hopes to turn it into a clean-and-sober program that uses a similar model but is not affiliated with the program.
For the smaller home that will likely house five to eight women, Anderson said hopes the administrative hurdles will be worked through in the next couple months.
“I just didn’t know this would take that long to get everything done,” he said.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
