Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Co-Housing Project For DisABLED Residents

[MelaSilva (MelaSilva]

>From the Fall CoHousing Journal, CA edition.
Although it is very different trom what this writer is envisioning, I thought
folks who hadn't seen this might be interested. 
Pam Silva

Orange County California
Homestead Friends Foundation is dedicated to creating innovative, small
clusters of cohousing integrated into the community for developmentally
disabled adults who wish to live independently. This foundation is pioneering
a new kind of social neighborhood that balances personal privacy with living
near other people who know and care for each other. We are striving to
encourage independent living in affordable and stable cohousing so that
residents can realize their individual capabilities to the fullest.

Homestead Friends Foundation, a newly formed 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation,
intends to build the first small-scale cohousing for independent,
developmentally disabled men and women We are planning 18 to 20 cottages or
bungalows and a common house on about one and a half acres. 
We believe that cohousing offers a solution to many of the pervasive problems
the disabled face in attempting to live independently. In recent years, these
men and women have been "mainstreamed" into so called "independent living" in
far-flung apartments throughout  a community, where they often have difficulty
initiating relationships and find themselves cut off from friends and family.
They live among strangers who care little for them and can even be a danger. 
 Cohousing seems to meet the need for friendship/companionship. By living in
small-scale cohousing and having the sociability and natural support of each
other, they can safely and confidently be a part of main stream society and
not feel so isolated. 
We think we will attract significant national attention to our demonstration
project because both the basic design concept and physical layout of the
buildings makes the project completely non-institutional. This allows it to
fit into the existing community without looking different or unacceptable to
the larger neighborhood, a major selling point for us. Plus, our people do not
have cars or drive themselves, and therefore do not add to the traffic
congestion.
In July the Regional Center of Orange County, a State funded agency with a 70
million dollar/year budget for services for the disabled, awarded us a start
up grant to develop a demonstration project using our concept of cohousing. 
We are particularly grateful to Chuck Durrett and Katie McCamant for providing
a seminar on cohousing at the Regional Center, and a possible site plan to
show. We are now looking for a local development consultant who is
knowledgeable about both cohousing and affordable housing resources. We are
looking for land, and committed to at least 8 units by June 30, 2000. If you
have any questions, suggestions or comments, please contact Phoebe K. Pfeiffe
 <Pfeiff [at] ibm.net> or 949/458-8111 
 23448 El Greco, Mission Viejo, 92692