A squat, modern, two-story blue house sits at 2210 Calhoun St. Originally a residential home, this building is the newly renovated Lux Recovery House. With a new $1.5 million gift from Tulane University alumni Leslie and Paul Lux, the Recovery House provides a community for Tulane students struggling with substance abuse and addictions. 

Senior Alexandru Ungureanu is one of the recovery house’s residents. 

“I cannot fully state how important it has been to have the opportunity to live with others in recovery, being able to connect with each other, support each other, and hold each other accountable,” Ungureanu said in an email to The Hullabaloo. 

The Tulane Recovery Community tries to distance itself from the normal expectations of those going through addiction and substance abuse problems. “The TRC is not a clinical treatment program or a 12-step based program; we are a recovery community based on social support models,” the TRC website states. 

“I firmly believe that I would not have been able to stay sober in NOLA without this program,” an anonymous graduate student said in an email to The Hullabaloo. “It’s very helpful to have a space that I can go to during the week to see my friends and be in a space where I know that there are other people dedicated to living a drug-free and alcohol-free lifestyle.” 

Jacob Goldberg, the director of recovery programs, supports students in recovery or who have questions about the process.  

“Since the program began, the TRC has hosted over 500 peer recovery support meetings,” Goldberg said. “Now, with the LRH, Tulane students have a permanent space to receive support. Our long-term goal is to continue destigmatizing a recovery identity on campus.” 

The Lux Recovery House is the first dedicated housing for college students in recovery in Louisiana. “This milestone was marked by a crawfish boil and fish fry, now an annual tradition,” Goldberg said. 

“The TRC operates on a peer support model and is not a treatment program,” he said.”

Estimated at a value of $1.25 million on Zillow, the house boasts seven bedrooms and six bathrooms on 4,800 square feet. The decor is inspired by designs from the 1950s, with wood paneling as a central element. It also features a pool and tennis courts in the backyard. 

“The house and community at TRC is a safe and loving environment and has been a huge part of my success at Tulane,” junior Phoebe McMahon said in an email to The Hullabaloo. 

With the gift and a grant in the process of being written, the TRC hopes to expand. “Over the years, students have participated in activities such as Pelicans games, canoeing, camping, fishing and film festivals,” Goldberg said. “We’ve also attended recovery retreats and conferences, including trips to Vanderbilt University, Keystone, Colorado and the Southeastern Collegiate Recovery Summit.” 

Ph.D. student Martha Barta began her sobriety when she first moved to New Orleans and didn’t know anyone who could serve as a resource. “TRC was instrumental in supporting the lifestyle change,” she said in an email to The Hullabaloo. 

Students can find more information about the Lux Recovery House’s programs by emailing [email protected] or calling 225-202-6342.