Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: children with disabilities

[Tom Ponessa (tomp]

>From Russell Mawby - CoHoSoc - Toronto
<russell_mawby [at] tvo.org>
Posted by tomp [at] tvo.org

Jim, you should get in contact with
Claude De Forest in Winnipeg,Manitoba.
He recently received a small grant from
our national housing agency (CMHC) to look
into cohousing for children with disabilities.
His number is (204) 253-4249.

I should add that I don't know for sure
where things are at with this proposal,
but he'd be a good person to talk to for ideas.

There were another two groups of families
with similar needs looking into coho here
in Toronto last year, but were put off by
the process of actually getting things underway.
They have enough demands on their time as it
is without tackling housing development as well.

I know that two of those families were
able to find houses next door to each other,
and so begin to share some of the joys and
struggles of caring for their kids.

A related situation occurs in the Lowville Project,
on which I posted a note last week.  Disabled adults
make up two of the households there.  They are
particularly interested in cohousing
for the supportive environment they expect to find
themselves in,as well as a strong desire not
to be isolated in "special" housing.  Lowville is
being built for and by seniors.  Supportive
services will be available for everyone, including the
surrounding community - available *because* of the
presence of this project - density, cohesive community,
and availability of facilities in the common house (the
Meeting Place).  Isn't it amazing what we can do when we
decide to work together?

Russell Mawby - CoHoSoc - Toronto
<russell_mawby [at] tvo.org>