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Excelsior Springs, Mo. (August 12, 2025) — In a follow-up to a July public hearing that drew testimony from neighbors, advocates, and Oxford House supporters, the Excelsior Springs City Council formally voted Tuesday night and approved a motion to deny a request for reasonable accommodation submitted by Oxford House, Inc. The application sought to allow the continued operation of a sober living home at 21 Dawn Avenue.
Oxford House requested accommodations from the city to permit up to eight unrelated adult residents, with the possibility of up to three additional children, to live together in a single-family home zoned R-1. City code limits unrelated occupants in any zoning district to four.
The home in question, known as “Vicinity” on the Oxford House website, quietly opened in late fall of 2024 following $95,000 in renovations after a fire destroyed the property and resulted in the passing of its owner. Testimony during the July 22 hearing revealed that six women and two children were living there at the time, and residents were self-governing under Oxford House’s national peer-managed model.
While the Fair Housing Act and Missouri law both provide protections for group homes housing individuals with disabilities, including those recovering from substance use disorders, the law also requires that accommodations be shown to be both necessary and reasonable. Council members ultimately found Oxford House’s application lacking on those points.
Council Raises Concerns Over Necessity and Transparency
“I take this responsibility very seriously,” said Councilmember John McGovern. “I have carefully listened to the applicant’s testimony and reviewed the transcript of the hearing. It is my opinion, the information presented was insufficient to answer the key question: why is it necessary, on the account of a disability, for eight to eleven unrelated individuals to reside together rather than four or fewer?”
Councilman McGovern noted that Oxford House regional manager David Hahn had urged the council to research peer support, but provided no formal studies or expert evidence to show that housing more than four residents was a medical or legal necessity.
“It appears to be a matter of preference rather than of necessity,” Councilman McGovern concluded.
Mayor Pro Tem Reggie St. John also cited inconsistencies in the applicant’s presentation. “There has been a lack of transparency and inconsistency in a lot of the information presented. At one point, it was stated there would be eight individuals living in the structure. After listening, it was now eleven.”
Council Votes Unanimously to Deny Request
After a brief deliberation, the council voted unanimously to deny the request. According to City Attorney Paul Campo, the council’s decision was bound by specific legal criteria. Any vote had to evaluate:
- Whether the applicant qualifies as disabled under federal law,
- Whether the accommodation is necessary to afford equal housing access,
- Whether the request is reasonable in its impact on surrounding land use,
- And whether it would fundamentally alter city zoning policy.
The council concluded that the Oxford House request did not meet the standards to reasonably justify zoning accommodation.
What Comes Next
While the city of Excelsior Springs has not made public any formal enforcement plan regarding the Oxford House at 21 Dawn Avenue, its published code enforcement policy states that the city may serve a letter notifying residents of the violation and give ten days to remedy. The city then has the right to inspect the property to evaluate whether further enforcement action is needed.
It also remains unclear whether Oxford House, Inc. or the property owner will pursue legal action or seek to appeal the decision.
The home at 21 Dawn Avenue remains listed as an active Oxford House on the organization’s website with three vacancies.
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