In the fall of 2017, the Bruce Donovan ‘59 Program for Recovery and Substance-Free Initiatives opened a substance-free program house using an existing Residential Life facility at 219 Bowen Street. The house is a 17-bed community for students who are committed to a substance-free lifestyle and who identify as substance-free. 

Students apply to live in the house for a variety of reasons. Some are in recovery from substance use disorders, some are substance-free for health or religious reasons, and some have family histories of disordered substance use and find the presence of substances triggering. The house provides a supportive community for them with weekly house meals, special events, and workshops. 

The application cycle opens at the start of spring semester each year, and students will be notified of their acceptance before the deadline for the housing lottery. 

For more information on the Donovan House and how to live there, please contact Siena Napoleon, the Recovery and Substance-Free Program Coordinator.

If a student wants to live on a substance-free floor of a more traditional residence hall, they can request to live in substance-free special interest housing.

For incoming students (first-year and transfer) this request is facilitated by the New Student Housing Questionnaire which Residential Life typically sends to incoming students in June.

For returning students this request is an option that exists as part of housing selection and is entirely overseen by Residential Life. This process typically goes live in late January or early February for the upcoming Fall semester.

Please contact res_life@brown.edu if you have any questions about this process.