Lincoln council approves Oxford House Hannah Point request to house up to eight residents over neighbor objections

The Lincoln City Council voted 5–1 on July 28 to grant a reasonable accommodation request allowing up to eight people to live at Oxford House Hannah Point, a collaborative‑living residence at 6010 South 80th Street, after a lengthy public hearing featuring residents, neighborhood representatives, Oxford House officials and city staff.

Supporters of the accommodation said Oxford House’s model is evidence‑based and essential to long‑term recovery. “I humbly ask you guys to consider the safety of these girls and the other 200 members across Lincoln that are getting well,” Dan Hahn, regional manager for Oxford House Inc., told the council. Attorney Mark Falson, representing the applicant, told the council the planning commission had recommended approval by a 6–0 vote and argued the request comported with federal and state fair‑housing protections. “The residents of this house have been subjected to significant harassment,” Falson said, citing incidents he said included cut cable service and drones near windows.

The accommodation request was framed as a Fair Housing Act matter rather than a routine zoning variance. Planning Director David Carey told the council the collaborative‑living ordinance adopted roughly two years earlier was written to reflect federal protections for people recovering from substance use disorders and to provide a path for reasonable accommodations. Carey said the planning commission’s recommendation reflected that the proposal would not “fundamentally alter” the city’s zoning pattern and that no other approved collaborative‑living use exists within the one‑mile radius that the ordinance contemplates.

Neighbors and community groups testified in opposition, describing traffic congestion, on‑street parking, increased calls for police and ambulance response, and safety concerns. Troy Selig, who said he lives directly across the street, described an incident in July 2024 in which a person associated with the house came to his home in the early morning hours and banged on doors. “My wife called the police, and I do have three young children,” Selig told the council. Multiple neighbors described damaged property, frequent visitors they described as nonresidents, and incidents that left children and families feeling unsafe.

Lincoln Police Captain Ben Kopsa confirmed officers had responded to calls at the address 18 times between January 2022 and May 28, 2025, and said one arrest tied to a call for service at the address had occurred on Dec. 25, 2022. Kopsa said several of the calls were medical in nature and that the department’s analysis did not show the call volume at the house to be unique when compared with other addresses in the area.

Oxford House residents and supporters disputed some neighborhood claims and described the home as a stable, democratic and self‑supporting recovery residence that expels members who relapse. “I was sober, but I was not in recovery until I got into an Oxford House,” said Kelsey Replogel, an outreach worker and resident at Hannah Point. Other Oxford House witnesses described lawn maintenance and new parking protocols put in place since complaints arose, and said the organization would continue steps aimed at reducing neighborhood friction.

Councilmembers debated the competing legal and neighborhood concerns. Councilmember Tom Bowers introduced the item; Councilmember Beckias seconded the motion to approve. Supporters on the council emphasized the legal obligations under the Fair Housing Act and cited precedent where municipalities had been found liable for denying accommodations for protected groups. Opponents cited public‑safety and quality‑of‑life concerns in the block. The final roll call on the motion was recorded as five in favor and one opposed (Doudin voted no), and the motion carried.

The council’s action authorizes a single, site‑specific accommodation for Oxford House Hannah Point to house up to eight unrelated residents. The approval does not create an automatic entitlement for other collaborative‑living homes in the city; planning staff said future requests will be reviewed against the spacing and other conditions in the collaborative‑living ordinance.

The council meeting record shows the planning commission recommended approval and that the council’s review centered on whether the accommodation was “therapeutically or financially necessary” under fair‑housing analysis and whether allowing eight residents would fundamentally alter local zoning.

Council members and staff noted remaining neighborhood concerns and discussed enforcement options. City staff did not identify a specific program of continuous neighborhood monitoring tied to the approval; several council members urged the applicant and neighborhood leaders to work together on parking, lawn care and a reliable point of contact for neighbors.

The council’s action is limited to the facts presented at the July 28 hearing; any future issues tied to the address—complaints or code violations—would be handled under existing municipal enforcement processes or returned to the planning commission if new land‑use relief is requested.

Ending: The accommodation approval is limited to Oxford House Hannah Point at 6010 South 80th Street and was adopted July 28, 2025. Neighbors, Oxford House representatives and city staff stressed ongoing follow‑up would be necessary to address on‑the‑ground impacts and community concerns.