Creative Housing Solutions: Family Innovations for a Good Life - Story Summaries

Story Summaries

Gary’s Story:  It’s All in the Family

Read how Gary and his sister Cathy share support for and live near each other. Gary’s mother bought a condominium in Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood and he utilizes a Section 8 voucher that subsidizes his rent.  Gary’s mother lives in California so she bought this home in the same neighborhood as her daughter, Cathy.  Cathy and her wide circle of family and friends provide Gary support in part through using Medicaid Personal Care (MPC) funding.  Cathy and Gary share lots of time together enjoying friends and family and common interests.  Gary works at a downtown restaurant owned by Cathy’s partner, Diann.  Continue Gary's story.

Jared and Dan’s Story:  Goals Get You to Where You Want to Be

Read how four families used experience, skills, and tenacity to plan and create a living situation that meets the goals and aspirations of their sons to live self sufficiently.  Jared and his three roommates use Section 8 vouchers to rent a five bedroom home from his mother, Kim.  The house is situated in a familiar residential Kent neighborhood and is near community resources and a lake.  The young men hire providers to assist them with their daily personal care needs.  A provider stays overnight in the fifth bedroom in case of emergencies.  Continue Jared and Dan's story.  

Zach, Bergen, and Trent’s Story:  Timing and Flexibility – It All Comes Together

Read how three friends decided to live together and how finding a rental apartment was easier than expected.  These three young men rent an apartment in Bellevue using Section 8 vouchers. Their parents helped them find this apartment and secure MPC hours.  They hired a university student who provides assistance with personal care needs during the week. A combination of support from parents and a work-study student through W.i.S.e.’s My Home My Life project rounded out the support on the weekends. The three housemates have full lives including jobs, community college classes, sports, family and friends.  The first experience living away from their family home has lead to future dreams.  Continue Zach, Bergen and Trent's story.

Sheri’s Story:  Change is Constant

Read about the many experiences and changes in Sheri’s life that has lead her to living in a Mercer Island condominium and working in downtown Seattle.  Sheri’s parents bought this condominium near their Mercer Island home and Sheri rents from them using a Section 8 voucher.  She lives on her own with the companionship of her beloved dog, Chibi.  With thoughtfulness and care she creates and gives personalized gifts and gestures to others.  Her parents live close by and give her encouragement and the support she needs.  Continue Sheri's Story.

Sally, June and Linda’s Story:  Friends for Life

Read how three families planned over several years to create a living situation that works for their three daughters who had known each other since grade school. These three young women rent a four bedroom home in South King County using Section 8 vouchers.  They all work and are involved in community activities.  The young women found a woman from the families’ church to support the women in their home. The four women have created a warm, caring, and supportive household for each other.  To make this work, the parents are involved and the provider is well supported.  Continue Sally, June and Linda's story.

Katie’s Story:  A Life of Freedom and Self Discovery

Read how a mother and daughter have created a living situation and community opportunities that promote self expression and personal growth.  Katie lives in a fully accessible apartment built to accommodate her support needs and decorated according to her personal tastes.  The apartment is attached to her family home in Seattle where her mother lives and can provide close supervision to her daughter who needs 24 hour support because of her physical disabilities.  Katie uses a Section 8 voucher to pay rent to her mother.  Katie hires several compatible people who accompany her into the community and help her with personal care needs in her home.  Katie’s mother offers care, creativity, support, friendship, and advocacy to her lively daughter.  Continue Katie's story.

Emily, Carolyn, and Allison’s Story:  Realizing Dreams – A Home in the Heart of their Lifelong Community

Read how a young woman’s parents invested in a house in Issaquah so that one day she could live in her own home in the community where she grew up.  Emily now shares this four bedroom home with two other women and a live in care provider.  They use Section 8 vouchers to subsidize the rent so that is affordable for each of them.   The families of the three young women have worked closely over the years to create a good living situation with the supports their daughters need.  The community involvement and networks of the families have enhanced the community presence of these young women.  Continue Emily, Carolyn and Allison's story.

Nichole’s Story:  A Father and Daughter United in Life

Read about a father who rescued his daughter from a New York state institution and brought her to live in Seattle with him.  Nichole’s father learned about and navigated a complex service system to find the needed resources for her to live with him.  They now live together in an apartment in Seattle using a Section 8 voucher.  Nichole’s father provides most of her around the clock care and hires MPC providers for additional support with her personal care needs.  He continues to seek opportunities that will enhance her abilities to live a full and healthy life.  Continue Nichole's story.

Homeownership:  Rooted in the Community

Read two stories about households who bought their own homes using various programs designed to help assist qualified individuals with the home-buying process.

Brenda and Deandre’s Story:  Family, Friends, and Neighborhood Connections

Read how a mother bought a home in Renton for herself and her son in a desirable neighborhood close to family, friends, and work.  Homeownership provides them the opportunity to create ties to the neighborhood, including getting to know neighborhood kids and attending the local school.  Continue Brenda and Deandre's story.

Matt and Liz’s Story:  A Life Together as Proud Home Owners

Read how this newly married couple purchased a condominium in their home community.  Matt and Liz are learning responsibilities of being home owners including managing finances, making decisions, and sharing household responsibilities.  Although they needed to give up their Section 8 voucher to purchase a home, it was worth it in order to have their own place.  Continue Matt and Liz's story.

Alexa’s Story:  Three Generations Together

Read how finding a great subsidized apartment and person to live with can be easier then you think.  Alexa pushed her parents for several years to move out of her family home just like her sisters.  They eventually found a three bedroom apartment in an affordable housing development well situated in Kirkland.  After searching for the right roommate, circumstances led to the perfect person – Alexa’s grandmother –who also needed a place to live. Now Alexa and her grandmother live happily together and provide each other mutual support.  Alexa works at Starbucks, and has an active personal life.  Continue Alexa's story.

Matt, Nate, and Patrick’s Story:  Cohousing – Living as a Community

Read about living in a planned neighborhood where neighbors are committed to helping each other and live as a community.  These young men share a three bedroom condominium in a Cohousing community in central Seattle.  This community provides built in opportunities for these young men to create neighborly relationships of mutual support. The condo is owned by a non profit housing organization and the three housemates use Section 8 vouchers that keep the rent affordable.  The housemates hire MPC providers to support them in their home and community with their personal care needs.  All of their parents provide support to the household and are involved in their son’s lives.  The parents have developed strong and supportive relationships with each other through the years.  Continue Matt, Nate and Patrick's story.

Tim’s Story:  It Takes a Community to Build a Home

Read how a non profit organization was formed in Issaquah by Tim’s parents to build and manage two homes for community members with developmental disabilities through community partnerships and wide support.  Tim lives in one of these five bedroom homes with other people he knows.  An Adult Family provider lives in the home and provides support to Tim and his roommates.  Tim’s family has deep ties to the Issaquah community and Tim continues this family tradition by volunteering in his community.  Continue Tim's story.

Jason’s Story: Everything Falls into Place

Read how a mother and her son have created an ideal living situation for him in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood.  Jason lives in a newly constructed, fully accessible, two bedroom apartment in an affordable housing development.  Jason has a roommate who receives free rent in exchange for being available for overnight support if needed.  Jason’s mother manages and provides some of his MPC supports, along with others. Jason works and has an active life.  Continue Jason's story.

Unabridged Stories

Gary and Cathy's Story:  It’s All in the Family

Family has special meaning for Gary and his sister Cathy.  They consider family to be the foundation for a good and full life, whether you are born into it or you create it by nurturing bonds between close friends. Gary has always been surrounded by family members who care about and help each other, both when he lived in California and now in Seattle. In September 2006, on Gary’s 48th birthday, he moved from California to a condominium in the Seattle neighborhood where Cathy lives.  Surrounded by family and friends, he has made the adjustment to living in a new city, in a new home.  He has the support he needs to live in a way that is very satisfying to him, and he has friends and family with whom he can share time.

When Gary’s mother reached her mid seventies, it was time for her to “downsize” their family home and reduce her obligations.  It was always the family’s plan that eventually Cathy would be the family member who would help Gary live his life to the fullest; something his mother had done so well for Gary’s entire life.  But for Gary, this meant moving to Seattle and leaving a full life in California, which included a job he had for 22 years, a comfortable routine, knowledge of the public transportation system, frequent visits to his mother’s home, friends that he had known for years, the apartment he shared with his friend, Dale, and close proximity to his two brothers.  Although the move meant a big change and adjustment for Gary, it was the right move, both for Gary and his family.

Once Gary and his family decided it was best for him to move near his sister in Seattle, his mother began to research available resources in Washington. Over the years Gary’s mom had honed her advocacy skills which she used diligently and effectively by phone from California and on visits to Seattle. She was encouraged by what she found. People at The Arc of King County coached her about acquiring Medicaid Personal Care hours, and staff at King County Developmental Disabilities Division told her how Gary could apply and qualify for a Section 8 housing voucher.  Even though none of these financial supports were guaranteed at first, the family continued to follow their plan for Gary’s move to Seattle. As Cathy says, “we were willing to take the risk, because we knew that if we didn’t get it, we’d have to find something else. And my mom, she just goes after stuff because she knows historically that’s what makes a difference.  And she’s very organized and has time to do it.”  Their fortitude was rewarded; everything moved quickly and fell into place. When Gary finally moved to Seattle he had the supports that he needed.

The family also began to search for the best place for Gary to live in Seattle. He had tried living in group living situations several times and didn’t like it.  He wanted to live alone, in a home near Cathy’s. So, using family money that he would inherit in time, his mother bought a condominium where Gary could live. After looking all over North Seattle, they came upon a well maintained and delightful two bedroom condominium barely over a mile from Cathy and her partner, Diann.  When Cathy first walked into this condominium, she noticed the sense of privacy and greenery of large trees and shrubs. As she said, “When I first saw this place I loved the green belt because it’s quiet.  And even though it’s a busy part of town it adds peacefulness to things.” Gary was drawn to the deck in the backyard, where he now grows flowers and tomatoes and enjoys taking care of his plants.

Cathy’s good friend Linda also happened to live in the building. This made the condominium particularly attractive. If Gary ever needed anything Linda would be there to provide additional support. The condominium is also very well situated, located in the heart of the Northgate community, near bus stops, stores, restaurants, and parks. Gary loves to walk. In this neighborhood he walks to familiar places such as stores and restaurants where he shops and greets people. He walks on quiet neighborhood streets to his sister’s house, which by now he has done “at least 20 times”. He walks on busy streets with controlled crosswalks to Northgate Mall.  But what made this condominium work for the family was the extra bedroom.  With an extra bedroom, Gary’s mom, cousins, and brothers can stay with Gary when they are visiting from California.  He loves to have guests and to welcome people to his home.  Cathy is pleased that they can share the joys and burdens of hosting family members and family events.

With his Section 8 voucher, Gary pays his mother rent for the condominium.  This doesn’t cover the mortgage payments, but as Cathy says, “the extra expense is worth it.  The family has some extra money and my mom paid for the condominium with the idea that she’s not going to make money on it from his Section 8 rent.  It’s essentially his share of the family money that he would eventually inherit. It’s also worth the extra expense because it has two bedrooms and it’s got the great location with all the things we needed. The family was willing to do this. And in the long term, it’s a good investment”.  There were some initial concerns about the condominium qualifying for Section 8 subsidy. Could Gary rent from a family member and qualify for a two bedroom home?  But the Section 8 inspector assured the family that as long as the rent was deemed ‘reasonable’ and within the payment standard limit that came with his one bedroom voucher, it didn’t matter if he lived in a two bedroom residence. 

Once Gary moved in he received help from people who know and care about him, and this enabled him to settle into a routine in his new city. Cathy uses Medicaid Personal Care funds to manage Gary’s personal support needs.  She provides the majority of Gary’s support and has also enlisted family and close friends to help out.  It’s helpful that Cathy lives so close to Gary.  She can easily stop by for short visits if Gary needs something. But more often she spends an extended period of time with Gary doing whatever is needed at the time. She gives him reminders and recommendations for his personal care and household chore routine, helps him cook meals, and takes him to his appointments. They plan a daily menu and shop for groceries together. Cathy helps Gary write his monthly rent check to his mom from the money he receives from his job and SSI. He always includes a note to his mom with the rent check. Cathy comes by at least three times a week and Gary calls her everyday to check in. When he’s home alone, Gary uses the microwave to cook his meals. He also has a cell phone that he’s learning to use.

By providing most of the support, Cathy observes what needs to be done and what might have been overlooked over the years.  She plans to eventually disengage to a degree and to involve others in providing support to Gary in the years ahead.  “That’s part of it for me, to stay on top of it because otherwise you don’t know. And it’s so close that if I need to I can just pop over. That’s what makes it so easy and great. I don’t need to go there for eight hours.  We can drop things off to him on our way home.  That’s why I don’t see him moving at this point.  I love Seattle; I was the one who moved here. He got to come and be with me.  He said it was my fault”. Gary and Cathy both laugh at this comment.  Besides sharing life routines, they also share a similar sense of humor.

Diann and another friend Jesse also help out and receive Medicaid personal care hours. Cathy views this as a real bonus since they greatly enjoy being with Gary and they get paid to provide some additional support.  She pays all the taxes which helps to compensate the other providers for travel expenses driving to Gary’s house.  Cathy’s friend Linda lives in Gary’s building and provides backup security and emergency support for Gary.  When he first moved into the condominium the electricity went out and Linda helped Gary deal with the problem. Last winter the electricity went out five times, but now Gary keeps a flashlight handy in case the lights go out. 

Diann helped Gary find his job at the Black Bottle restaurant in Seattle’s trendy Belltown neighborhood.  Diann’s brother Brian is head chef at the Black Bottle. A bus trainer taught Gary how to take public transit back and forth to work each day.  He catches the bus across the street from his home and transfers twice to get to his job. This takes him about 1½ hours each way.  Gary gets the restaurant ready to open three days a week. He cleans up the outside seating area by sweeping the sidewalks with a blower, wipes down the tables and chairs, and then does other tasks inside the restaurant.  After working 22 years in one job in California it was hard for Gary to adjust to a new job.  But Gary brings the same qualities and skills to this job, including his dependability and his friendly personality.  As Cathy says, “they love him there. When he’s out in front he’s like the front man. He’s very friendly, smiles, and welcomes people to the restaurant.”

Since Gary is surrounded by family and friends in Seattle he doesn’t seem to miss his life in California as much as expected.  He and his sister are big baseball fans so they go to Mariners games and watch sports on TV. As Cathy says, “I’m the biggest baseball fan in the family besides Gary.  And football too.  We’re big sports fans.  So it’s great that we are hanging out together.”  Gary likes board games so, often when Jessie, another family friend, or Diann come over they play yahtzee and other favorites.  Another friend, Jenny and her daughter Joy visit frequently and like to go places with Gary. With Cathy’s circle of Seattle family and friends Gary participates in group gatherings, outings, vacations, and celebrations.  He also goes to some of the activities organized by Cathy’s church. They recently went on a hike with a church group.  Gary is included seamlessly in the activities and relationships of Cathy’s life and she’s thankful he’s around to join in.  As she says, “He’s just part of family at whatever level I have family and I have a lot of chosen family up here.  And then there’s the family in California. He needs to have family.”

Both Cathy and Gary say this is the ideal situation and that he will live in this condominium for the long term. Together they made this dream of Gary’s and his family a reality. As Cathy says, “This to me is ideal as far as Gary is concerned.    Even if we didn’t have the extra family money there was the possibility of using it as a retirement investment, so to me it’s being open to ideas where everyone wins. And not to settle for less if there is any possible way.”  Gary says what makes it successful for him is that it’s “the first time in awhile that I’ve been close to my sister.  I walk to Cathy and Diann’s house 20 times now.” 

Words of Advice from Gary and Cathy:
•    Be open to creative possibilities and approach others for ideas and encouragement.

•    Don’t limit the possibilities for someone.  Go for what you want.  Dream big.  If you don’t consider it, it won’t happen.

•    Don’t settle for less then you want if there is any possible way.

Housing:
•    Parent bought a condominium with family funds. 

•    Gary pays his portion of the rent to his mother from his wages and SSI, and the remaining rent is subsidized by his Section 8 voucher.

•    The location was the main factor for choosing this condominium: close to family, bus lines, shops, and places to walk safely.

•    The condominium has an extra bedroom so Gary can have family and friends visit and spend the night, especially family visiting from California.

Reasonable Accommodation:
•    KCDDD’s housing coordinator assisted Gary with a request for reasonable accommodation to rent from a relative and explained to Gary’s family that Gary could have a two bedroom condo as long as the rent did not exceed the voucher payment standard set by the housing authority for his one bedroom voucher.

Supports:
•    Gary receives Medicaid Personal Care hours which provide the support for his personal care needs so that he can live on his own in the community.

•    His sister oversees the personal care hours. As she says, “I really think having a family member around is really key to having him getting the best support possible.  Having someone oversee it, things could fall through the cracks.”

•    Close friends and other family members provide other support needs using MPC hours.

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Jared and Dan’s Story:  Goals Get You to Where You Want to Be

Jared has lived in his family home with three of his friends since October 2001.  His mother’s spacious five bedroom home is located in a residential neighborhood in Kent.  Since living there, Jared has had new opportunities to do and try things that help him reach his goals for independent living. He is now moving ahead in his life, along with his roommates Dan, Jerry, and Sam.

Kim never planned on renting her house to her son and his friends using Section 8 vouchers, but it turned out to be the perfect option.  As Kim describes it:

“We were moving and had our house up for sale.  There were about four families who were really serious about finding housing for their boys.  We looked for other housing and we didn’t care for it.  We were looking in neighborhoods where Section 8 sent us and they just weren’t safe and we didn’t feel comfortable.  So we took the house off of the market.” 

At first she didn’t think she could keep her old home and afford to buy a new one.  But with some creative financing she was able to do both.

This turned out to be the right decision.  Kim’s home was in a great location. It was situated in a community that was familiar to the four young men and in close proximity to their families.  It was big enough to accommodate everyone.  A bus route from the end of the street takes the young men to Kent Station to see movies. Or they can walk a short distance to get a pizza and shop at a variety of local stores.  As Cindy, Dan’s mom says, “they have all become very comfortable with the bus and we like it because they are not calling us for rides.” Another great asset to this home is the private access to a beach on Lake Meridian. The young men can walk to the lake for picnics, swimming, 4th of July fireworks, or boating with Jared’s dad. 

The planning for this living arrangement all started when the young men were leaving high school and their families were preparing for them to eventually move out of their family homes.  Cindy and Kim met when Jared’s independent living coach brought together twenty families whose children were in similar situations.  Eventually, the number narrowed to four families who had similar values and goals: a home of their own where they would feel safe, a healthy lifestyle, and real opportunities to learn skills to gain more responsibility and independence in their lives. As Cindy said, “We wanted him to have a life like everyone else has, that is as full and rich as it can possibly be.”

Another underlying incentive was to establish housing and a network of supports for their sons before they were no longer able to care for them, in order to avoid leaving decisions and responsibility to their other children.  Kim observed that, “we’re not going to be around forever”. The four families met often to discover what they each wanted and to refine their common goals before the young men moved into the house together. It was a leap of faith for Jared.  He stated “I didn’t know any of these people before.  I met them for the first time.  This whole situation was new to me so I was learning more and more as time went on.  I knew it was going to be a good experience at the time.”

Although everything was falling into place, there were still some issues to work out. To do this, the four families used personal connections and networks they had established over the years.  They found people who understood what they were trying to do and who were willing to support them even if it meant doing something differently.  They wanted to pursue their goal of independence and self sufficiency which required making sure that their personal care needs could be adequately met through support from Medicaid Personal Care. They found lots of helpful people who directed them to available resources and services that would support the model they were creating. This involved the use of Section 8 vouchers, food stamps, job coaches, community involvement opportunities, and other community supports.

The four families learned a great deal during this period.  As Cindy says, “We struggled because our model was different.   But people could see what we wanted to do and they were very helpful. They were probably slightly intimidated by four women coming in with file boxes.”  The mothers were organized, determined and persistent. They kept files on everything and were prepared to answer any questions.  Cindy learned an important lesson: “Tell people what you are trying to create and then sell it to them.”

When Kim began the process of moving out of her home, the other families came to check out the place and they all agreed it would work. For Jared, this was an easy decision since he had been living in the family home for the past four years. The young men all started moving into their new home at the same time.  Minor remodeling was required in the basement to make an additional bedroom while leaving a big recreation room.  This left the upstairs master suite for the care provider who would provide overnight support in case of an emergency. Some of the boys and family members helped to paint their own bedrooms. All of the families helped to furnish the home.  The boys helped to set up the rules and guidelines about how they wanted to live together and what they wanted to do.  In the meantime, Kim worked through the King County Housing Authority so that the house qualified for Section 8.  Three of the four men have Section 8 vouchers that help subsidize their rent.  Jared requested reasonable accommodation for an extra bedroom for a live-in aide.

The young men continue to receive support from their Medicaid Personal Care providers. Shauna, the primary personal care provider, supports the young men with their individual personal care needs during the day.  This includes getting ready for work, planning, shopping and preparing meals, cleaning the house, taking medication, and various other personal care needs.  It is a flexible schedule which usually starts around 10:00 a.m. and ends sometime after dinner.  Lance lives in the house and provides oversight at night and has his rent subsidized through Jared’s Section 8 voucher which has a higher subsidy to allow for a live-in aide. 

Except for Jared, all of the men have paying jobs.  Dan works at QFC, Jerry works for Seattle City Light, and Sam works at SouthCenter Mall.  The roommates also go out on their own to the movies or for pizza.  This makes the schedule very flexible for Shauna and Lance.  They work around the young men’s busy schedules, but also have time during the day to do things for themselves. 

The men like Shauna and Lance; they joke with them and are respectful. They are all similar ages and Shauna and Lance are good role models for the young men.  Over the four years they’ve had other care providers that didn’t work out as well. The first was an older gentleman who didn’t like to drive and therefore would only take them to nearby places.  Another provider treated the young men like children even though he was younger than they were. Both of these care providers didn’t work out well because they didn’t carry out the vision of supporting these young men to become more responsible and independent.  With the help of Shauna and Lance, Jared said he has learned “to be organized, clean up after myself, and do my part to make the place look nice.” As with all roommate situations, they’ve had some problems to work out with each other, but Jared says he doesn’t call his mother as much anymore when problems come up. 

Kim also does a lot of work to help manage the household.  She keeps track of all of the household expenses, pays bills, is available for meetings, and keeps track of the paperwork and inspections necessary to maintain the Section 8 voucher subsidy.  She recently applied for and received a grant from King County Housing Authority to make energy efficient improvement to the home, which included a new furnace and light bulbs.  As long as the home is rented to Section 8 tenants for the next five years, Kim will not need to pay for these improvements.  It can be an advantage for parents to be landlords since they are frequently on the property and can assist with making improvements and doing what needs to be done.  This involvement helps Kim “keep an eye on the needs of the household” and check in with Jared. The other parents are also involved and help out as needed, including transportation to medical appointments or shopping.

Since they started living together over four years ago, the men’s lives have changed significantly.  The rules and guidelines that were first set up “have changed because they have progressed so much” as Kim describes it.  The fact that the group is flexible and willing to change and adapt as progress is made helps this arrangement work. One of the first individuals to move in with the men has since moved out.  But the roommates met another young man who had similar goals and aspirations and asked him to move in with them.  The parents and the young adults all decided together that he would be a good match.  The young men are becoming more self-sufficient with better paying jobs.  The increased income has meant that they are no longer eligible for food stamps, which meets their goals of increased independence and self sufficiency.

Jared enjoys the life he and his family have created.  He is busy looking for employment and has a job possibility with Marriot Hotels, but for now his financial resources are limited. In order to meet all his expenses, he sometimes does yard work for his father.  Jared walks, takes the bus, or schedules Metro Access vans to go places he enjoys in the community including movies, concerts, parks, and the mall.  Through the Kent Parks and Recreation program he is doing some volunteer work in the community garden and at the clothing bank.  Jared says, “I love helping people.  It makes me feel good about myself.”  His lifestyle encourages him to pursue new goals for himself.  He’s learning the guitar and someday would like a job that involves music, such as working at a music store. Although, he wants to meet new people, he sees his friendship with his roommates as lifelong, “just like friends in college who become friends for the rest of their lives.” 

As with most twenty-something year-old men, this shared housing situation feels temporary to Jared, but it is preparing him for a future life in his own home with his own family.  The parents agree that this is a good transition home, they have learned much together and they can envision someday their sons may all get married and have children. They express, “We can’t put any limitation on what they can do because we don’t know”.  They can see the possibility that in the future they may not need care providers or the support of a Section 8 voucher.

Their common goals and drive to make something positive happen has kept these parents and sons together through both the good and the difficult times.  With this vision they have worked together as families to create something that supports each of their son’s unique goals.  As Kim says, “Every situation may look different depending on the individuals, but keep at it, it’s a goal and it can happen.” To these dedicated parents all the work at the beginning was worth it.  As Cindy says, “like anything else when you first start out it’s a lot of work but it does get easier. And in the end you’re going to have a real good situation for your child so it’s worth the work.”  Kim adds, “It’s possible for other moms to do this”. They can no longer envision their sons living with them rather than out on their own.  It was time.

Words of Advice:
•    It can be done. Don’t give up. Get a plan, set your goals and stick to them.
•    You have to be willing to get involved because it’s not going to come to you.
•    Network. Talk to everyone you know. Create a vision for what you want and keep pushing for it.
•    Get started early. Don’t wait. Take advantage of all the meetings and resources while your son or daughter is still in high school. Take advantage of all of those connections made during this time or you may lose them and have to start all over. Just think: “I understand that because my child has a disability I need to stay closely connected with community supports until they make their own connections”.
•    The more connections you make through job fairs, workshops, and community organizations, the more families you will get to know who may be helpful down the road.

Housing:
•    Jared’s mother Kim owns the five-bedroom house and rents the house to the four young men
•    Three of the young men have Section 8 vouchers that they use to help subsidize their portion of the rent
•    The subsidy from the Section 8 vouchers and each housemate’s contribution towards rent covers the cost of the mortgage with some additional funds left to pay for repairs or other household expenses.
•    Each roommates pays an additional $200/month towards food, vehicle insurance, gas for the car, and occasional entertainment expenses for the care providers
•    Kim made some changes to the house to accommodate five people. She turned a big room downstairs into two bedrooms still leaving space for a recreation room. This left the master room with a bathroom available for the live-in aide.
•    Location is key. The house is located in a community that is familiar to the young men. It’s close to family members, shops, restaurants, bus lines, parks and a private lakeside beach.

Reasonable Accommodations:
•    Rent from a relative
•    Additional bedroom for live-in provider
•    Shared housing

Support:
•    Medicaid Personal Care hours are used to help each young man with his individual support needs.
•    Kim does a lot to help manage the household, including keeping track of hours, bookkeeping, filling out paper work, some cleaning, making household repairs and attending meetings
•    Other parents provide support to their son as needed
•    Finding good providers who relate well with the individuals is a key component to success

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Zach, Bergen, and Trent’s Story:  Timing and Flexibility – It All Comes Together

When Zach reached his mid-twenties, he began to talk to his parents about moving out of his family home and living on his own.  As a young man, he was ready to live with friends. Zach had known Bergen, and another friend Trent, for several years through classes at Bellevue Community College and through Special Olympic sports. Trent and Bergen had been friends since they were seven years old.  They began talking about what it would be like to be roommates and decided to try it out. Once their families got involved, their move to a shared apartment happened quickly and easily.

Zach and his mother, Alice, started to look for apartments on their own, but put the search on hold when they couldn’t find anything they liked.  When Adele and Linda, Bergen and Trent’s mothers, got involved everything started to fall into place.  Since they all were in agreement about the type of housing and location they all desired, they were able to focus their housing search.  They decided to live in Bellevue since all the young men were taking classes at Bellevue Community College, the bus services were convenient, and it was less expensive than other eastside communities. They also needed an apartment that accepted Section 8 housing vouchers, since each of them had received a housing voucher.  Bellevue was also an easy distance from each of their family homes.

When Alice began her internet search for Bellevue apartments, she was surprised to find many that accepted Section 8 and that they also fell within the maximum rent allowed by Section 8.  Linda’s husband, Gary, eventually found the ideal apartment.  All of the families made several visits to the apartment complex before the final decision was made. They went at different times of the day to get a sense of who lived there and the kinds of activities that took place around the apartment complex.  The complex was quiet, close to a popular mall, bus lines, restaurants and stores, and the managers had experience with Section 8. In addition, this three bedroom apartment had ample room for all three men, including two bathrooms and a small deck. 

In February 2007 they gave the managers a rent deposit and by March had moved into their new apartment.  As Alice says, “we really didn’t have a plan; we just went along with it as things developed”.  They felt lucky that after looking at only three places they found the right place.  Bergen likes how close the apartment is to the bus stop. Zach likes that there is lots to do nearby so if he’s bored sitting in the apartment it’s convenient to get out and do things. Alice likes knowing their sons are happy there and that they feel safe enough to venture away from the apartment. Adele states that, “Access to the apartment couldn’t be better. Everything is there.  That was crucial and important.”

The families began to prepare themselves for this eventual move a couple of years before the young men actually moved into the apartment.  They sought all available information and training event from organizations such as The Arc of King County, Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (W.i.S.e.), and KCDDD.  At these events, they were able to talk to more experienced families and get ideas about housing options. Adele recalls, “There were so many ideas and stories, so we looked for what would work.  I maintained a large folder on housing. At first my husband and I had no idea how to do this.  We got smart and knew we had to start talking to other parents if we were going to do something.  You can almost always find a parent who has done it already and they can tell you what to do and not to do”.  Alice concurred, “I went to a four hour meeting and heard so many stories.  I learned several different ways that you could do what we wanted to do, which was very helpful.  But it takes a long time to process all the information and figure out what will work for your particular situation”.

Finding the right housing situation was also a process of elimination. Zach visited a new group home in Issaquah but came away knowing that he never wanted to live in a “in a group home setting.”  Zach and his mother knew about home ownership options but didn’t want to buy a house at that point due to the expense and commitment involved.  Like most of his peers, Zach thought a good first step would be to start out in an apartment with a couple of friends.  Through their participation in these informational meetings, they heard about using Section 8 vouchers to subsidize rent. KCDDD’s housing coordinator was instrumental in helping them through the application process including filling out lots of forms and attending a briefing.  As Adele describes it, “ultimately they all got approved so when that fell into place, we all started to communicate to find a date they could all move.”  Everything happened quickly once the Section 8 vouchers were approved.  About six months later, they were in their new apartment. 

From another parent they also learned about support available through Medicaid Personal Care (MPC) providers. A person at The Arc gave them a list of agencies that employ MPC providers.  Alice contacted one of the agencies and they found a young man, Matt, who had experience and could work part time. Zach, Bergen, and Trent interviewed Matt along with their parents. Again, everything fell into place. Matt was a perfect match for the three men.  As Alice says, “He is so flexible, it’s amazing.  It is perfect. We are so lucky. It was all meant to be.  We found him right away, within a week.”  Currently Matt comes to the apartment about four days a week on a very flexible schedule that accommodates the individual personal care needs of Zach, Bergen, and Trent. In turn, the roommates accommodate Matt’s university class schedule while he’s getting his PhD.  As the mothers say, “to find someone who is so flexible was wonderful.  Sometimes he just comes over on days when he’s not scheduled.  He does extra things such as going to their soccer tournament.  He’s a wonderful young man.” 

When Matt started working at the apartment, Zach, Bergen, Trent and their parents talked to him about the help they needed to live on their own. Together they negotiated a schedule that met everybody’s individual needs. Each of the men has particular skills they are working on based on the annual assessments they completed with their DDD caseworkers.  Matt helps Bergen shave at times and helps Zach get his clothes together.  As Adele explains, “There are some specific things that Bergen needs help with and other things that Zach needs help with.” The parents agree that their sons don’t need a great deal of help. 

On Sundays, Shawn, a work study student also comes to help with chores if needed.   Shawn is part of a program sponsored by the W.i.S.e and KCDDD called “My Home, My Life”.  Often Zach, Bergen and Trent have commitments on Sundays involving their families, their girlfriends, or their jobs.  Shawn began by helping Zach on Sundays while Zach was still living with his parents.  Shawn helped Zach prepare to move to his own apartment by teaching him about shopping and using a microwave. Zach, Bergen, and Trent are on their own when Matt or Shawn don’t come by.  On those days, they microwave their meals or go out to restaurants. 

The parents provide support for their sons when needed.  Adele and Alice help them with budgets and checkbooks. But as time has passed, they don’t need as much help with finances either. Sometimes their parents take them to medical appointments, clothes shopping, or other places.  The parents also help each other with transportation. As Alice says, “If Zach needs to go somewhere and we can’t take him, there is always someone who will help out”. Each young man’s parents also use some of their sons’ MPC hours to provide individualized personal care when Matt is not available. All of the families want to make sure Matt is taken care of and constantly ask him if he gets enough hours, is paid enough, and if the job is satisfying.  Initially they talked to Matt frequently about their sons and how they were doing in the new apartment. Now they talk about once a month and when things come up.  Occasionally all of them meet together with Matt.

Since moving into their apartment, Zach, Trent, and Bergen have worked out agreements for household expenses, chores, and general cooperation. Money for rent, utilities, and other expenses comes from their wages, Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Section 8 vouchers.  They each contribute $50 to a gift card from Top Foods, conveniently located across the street from the apartment.  This covers the cost of groceries for meals they eat together, usually dinner. They buy their own food for breakfast and lunch.  All three men have unique, busy schedules for work, school, sports, family, and friends.  As a result, the initial agreements and schedules that were established have evolved over time. To help stay organized they created a chore wheel.  Now that they have lived together for awhile they are changing how they fairly distribute the household chores.  Matt helps them refine the chore schedule, sort out disagreements, and make appropriate compromises. 

Besides going to school full time, all of the young men work. Zach has worked in grocery stores since he was in middle school.  When he moved to Bellevue he was transferred to the QFC grocery store only three blocks away.  Bergen works for his father’s engineering business doing data processing for the office. Both young men want different jobs in the future and full time employment.  They hope their community college internships and field experience with local businesses will open some doors.  To top off their busy schedules, they have also gotten involved in local community organizations through Total Living Concept’s Community Guides program. 

When they are not going in different directions, the men spend time together listening to music, going to movies, to the mall, or to baseball games.  They sometimes take the bus to downtown Bellevue to catch a movie or walk around the city. They share an interest in sports and participate in basketball, soccer, and bowling leagues. At home they like to watch movies and play video games.  And like most all twenty year olds, they enjoy spending time alone in their rooms on their computers. Zach often gets together with his brother and occasionally spends time on the weekends with his family. His mother says “Zach became a bachelor right away.  I try to see him weekly at least for a short time.  He comes home about once a month, on Sundays, and spends the day.  He has really taken to his bachelor pad.”  Bergen spends most Sundays with his family and sometimes Zach will join them for dinner. Bergen and his dad go to Mariners games together.  Both Zach and Bergen like to spend time with their girlfriends.

Given it’s their first experience living on their own, shared apartment living has worked well for these young men.  However, they all agree that eventually each of the roommates will live in different places. They have discovered that it takes work to live with others even if you are friends. As Alice says, I don’t think they are any different from people who get together for the first time.  It’s hard to live with roommates.”  They have made a commitment to live with each other for a year and after that they will reassess what they want to do. According to Section 8 rules, after living in the jurisdiction of the public housing authority that issued the voucher for one year, the voucher can be transferred anywhere in the country.  Bergen thinks he wants to eventually live in a house close to a future job.  Zach wants to settle in a house in Italy after traveling in Europe for a year.  Alice responds to this idea by saying “I think that’s a terrific dream to have. My dream is that he has a house in Italy that I can visit.”  As these families are discovering, if you are flexible and given the right timing, anything is possible, even living in Italy.

Words of Advice:
•    Who you live with is the most important issue.  Spend time with each other before you move in and make sure you get along reasonably well.  As Zach and Bergen emphasize, “Make sure that you know everything about the person that you want to live with”

•    Go to as many meetings as possible about supports for people with disabilities. Even just to network. Parents who have done it before have lots of information and can provide support.  Get as many ideas as you can about different types of living situations that have been successful.  There are things that you probably have never thought about and how to do it.  There isn’t just one solution. There are lots of different ways to do it.

•    It’s about networking and knowing people.

•    Know the questions to ask. You have to ask.

•    Make sure you include your family member with a disability in planning to get a clear idea about what they are thinking and wanting; to make sure they are okay with the apartment, the location, the bus service.

Housing:
•    Three bedroom apartment in Bellevue in a quiet complex near bus stops, Crossroads Mall, and many other shops and restaurants.

•    Use of Section 8 vouchers to subsidize the rent.

•    Close proximity to school and work and in close driving distance from families.

•    Equal sharing the costs of utilities and food.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests:
•    Shared housing

•    Extension past the initial 120 days in which to use the voucher

Support:
•    Medicaid Personal Care provider comes 3-4 days per week to assist with each young man’s individualized personal care needs.

•    Work Study student provides additional support on Sunday.

•    Parents provide support as needed including money management, incidental shopping, medical appointments, and transportation.

•    All roommates have jobs, go to community college classes, and are involved in other community activities.

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Sheri’s Story:  Change is Constant

Like most people in their mid forties, Sheri has experienced much in her life – she’s lived in different places, built a career, made friends, experienced loss, and developed talents and interests.  Sheri moved out of her parents home on Mercer Island when she was 22 and has been living on her own ever since. Her first experience was living in an apartment where she learned skills for independent living.  Instead of going to college, she entered a year long program organized by the Independent Living Center where she was taught how to grocery shop, cook, clean and budget money. After one year, she had confidence about her ability on her own, but she had nowhere to live. At that point, her parents decided to purchase a condominium in Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood.  Sheri rented it from them using a Section 8 voucher and she lived there for the next twelve years.

This period of Sheri’s life was difficult for a number of reasons.  She had a series of jobs that were unstable and required her to work at inconvenient times.  With one job at a nursing home kitchen, her shift started at 5:00 a.m. and sometimes she worked shifts ending at midnight.  She didn’t feel safe in the Northgate neighborhood, especially when she was going back and forth to work late at night. As a single woman living on her own, her parents were constantly worried about Sheri. Their anxiety escalated when Sheri didn’t answer the phone and they were uncertain where she was.  In addition, it was difficult and inconvenient for Sheri’s parents to visit her and help out, especially as the traffic increased between Seattle and Mercer Island. So after twelve years of living in Northgate, her parents decided to buy a condominium close to them for Sheri to rent.  When a well situated Mercer Island condominium came on the market, they quickly bought it and Sheri moved in.

Sheri has lived in this Mercer Island condominium since 2000.  It is in the hub of Mercer Island activities, close to grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, movie theaters, community events, and parks.  Her one bedroom home suits her lifestyle; it’s convenient to bus stops, near her parents, provides her privacy but is also conducive to entertaining friends and family. Most importantly, she can walk to places with her beloved dog Chibi, her constant companion for many years.  Her parents appreciate that she is safe and close by.

After deciding to move from the Northgate condominium, Sheri and her parents explored low income subsidized housing and home ownership as housing possibilities.  But for different reasons neither of these options were appropriate or feasible for Sheri. Instead, they decided to buy a condominium close to where they lived. In the process of leaving the Northgate condominium, Sheri’s original Section 8 voucher lapsed.  As a result, Sheri’s parents were paying the mortgage and Sheri was paying her parents rent as her income allowed.  After several years without Section 8, Sheri applied again. She qualified as “rent burdened”, because she was paying more than 50% of her income towards rent and utilities each month.  

Over the past ten years Sheri has held several different jobs in local government. For the last two years she has worked in a King County office sorting and delivering mail, copying documents, and performing other office duties. Sheri gets up at 6:00 a.m. to catch a bus that gets her to work by 10:00. After working until 3:30 she feels she’s put in a full and productive day.  Sheri loves her job and feels like she finally has found stable employment with great co-workers and a supportive supervisor.  Although Sheri has steady employment, it is less than full-time and her income is not enough to cover her housing costs. Her Section 8 voucher allows her to continue making ends meet and maintain her housing.

Sheri doesn’t need much help to live independently.  But as her mother, Kay observes, “Sheri needs structure in her life”.  She needs someone to check in on her and provide occasional reminders to keep things like refrigerators and closets clean.  Her mother comes by her home every few weeks to help with household chores and keeping things organized. Sheri regularly calls her parents to check in, talk about the news, discuss her concerns, and get advice.    Sheri gets financial management help from Janet, a retired teacher and friend of her mother’s.  Janet comes once a month to help Sheri budget her money, balance her checking account, and keep track of her receipts.  Sheri keeps all of her financial records organized in color coded files.  Janet is an important part of Sheri’s life and enjoys teaching money management skills.  In exchange for helping Sheri, Janet gets her hair done in Kay’s salon.  

Sheri’s dad provides her with transportation when she needs it.  Sometimes he will take her to doctor’s appointments or drive her to work if she misses the bus.  The family looked into Medicaid Personal Care services for Sheri but decided they didn’t want to go through the assessment process as it didn’t seem to relate to Sheri’s needs.

Sheri has a few good friends who she visits and calls on the phone. She sometimes meets her friend Judy in downtown Seattle for coffee and shopping. But on weekends Sheri sometimes finds herself alone with not much to do.  In the past she liked to take Chibi to nursing homes to provide “pet therapy” to residents. She sorely misses her good friend Huynh who was tragically killed two years ago outside of the store where he worked.  She had known Huynh for over fourteen years.  They would get together every Sunday morning and spend the day going for drives in the country and going out to eat.  She enjoyed his companionship and misses his friendship a great deal. 

To bring more people into her life, Sheri recently joined the LifeSPAN network.  LifeSPAN helps families develop safe, secure, quality futures for their relatives with disabilities. She and her parents hope participating in this network will provide opportunities to bring new and old friends together to support Sheri throughout her life.

Thoughtfulness is one of Sheri’s greatest gifts. She is motivated by organizing gatherings, creating personalized gifts and making special gestures that recognize other people.  Her many talents include making creative cards, invitations, and scrapbooks.  She also enjoys baking.  She shares these talents with friends, family, co-workers and even her dog Chibi. At one point, Sheri’s talent for making cards turned into a business. She once made lovely place cards for a party and before she knew it other people were asking her to create cards for them. She then created greeting cards to sell and quickly found that keeping up with the demands of her small business was interfering with her regular employment.  Sheri came to the decision that it was best for her to keep this interest as a hobby and not turn it into a business. 

Sheri continues to use her creations as special gifts and gestures to others. She regularly makes birthday cards for co-workers or brings them something special she has baked.  Her employer counts her as an employee who remembers to celebrate fellow co-workers and who creates a positive work environment.  Her cookies wrapped in cellophane bags and tied with ribbons were the first to sell at an office fundraiser.  When people come to her house she makes chocolate chip cookies.  As Sheri says, “It’s just something that people may like when they first come in; something to make people happy.”  Sheri even makes homemade food for Chibi ever since a recent recall of tainted dog food.  Sheri’s thoughtfulness and creativity appears endless. She raised money for Huynh’s family after he died, made a beautiful scrapbook to remember their time together, and has created cards to give to Huynh’s sister.

Kay believes that Sheri is doing very well.  She now has a stable life after many years of change, difficulties, and uncertainty for both Sheri and her family.  They now look confidently toward her future knowing that change is constant and that Sheri can cope with it. Kay adds, “As Sheri gets older we are getting more interested in thinking about what we want to do in the future.”  They are hopeful that joining the LifeSPAN network will be a good start in planning this future.  Sheri is already organizing a special gathering at her home for her “circle of friends” to help her explore this. 

Her parents would like Sheri to eventually move into a two or three bedroom home that she can share with a friend or two. They are even willing to use the equity in the Mercer Island condominium to purchase something bigger if there were compatible people to live with Sheri.  As Kay emphasizes, “It’s finding the right people and then the housing will come easily, but you’ve got to have people you want to live with”.  Sheri is not as sure about her future and can’t make up her mind if she wants to live with other people or not. As she says, “If my work is really busy I usually like to come home and just be by myself, but on other days if it wasn’t so busy I wouldn’t mind coming home with someone here.”  In the meantime, Sheri and her parents like to attend meetings and talk with people to get ideas for other housing arrangements, including the family support meeting “My Home, My Life” organized by KCDDD and the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (W.i.S.e). But they are not in a hurry; the right time for moving once again will eventually present itself. In the meantime, Sheri seems content. After all, what she loves most about her current living situation is having Chibi with her. 

Words of advice:
•    Just do it.  And do it early. Don’t be overprotective otherwise it may be too late. Even amidst difficult times with lots of change, we found that the best thing was to let Sheri move out so she could take steps to create her own life.
•    Sometimes it’s like tough love; you just have to take the plunge.
•    Don’t make it easy for your child to stay at home, such as paying for everything when you go shopping.
•    Get involved in things that interest you, such as groups and organizations to meet people and get ideas.

Housing:
•    Parents own a one bedroom condominium and Sheri rents it from them using her Section 8 voucher. The parents pay the mortgage which is more than the rent allowed by Section 8
•    Section 8 has helped Sheri live independently.
•    The condominium is near bus stops, grocery stores, parks, restaurants, and other amenities in the hub of Mercer Island.
•    The neighborhood is safe and easy for walking.
•    The condominium is close to her parents so it is easy and convenient for them to visit and help out.
•    Because Sheri has a disability and her dog is a certified therapy dog, all of Chibi’s food and medical care is deductable as a “Medical Expense” for Sheri.  Each year when Sheri’s Section 8 is being reviewed, the housing authority reduces her monthly rent by a portion of her medical expenses. 

Reasonable Accommodations requests:
•    Rent from a relative

Support:
•    Some structure is provided to Sheri from her parents, including help with household chores, organization, rides to appointments, and regular visits and phone calls.
•    A friend comes monthly to help Sheri with her finances, such as budgeting, bill paying, and reconciling her checking account.  The friend gets free hair care in return from Sheri’s mother.
•    Sheri and her parents are part of the LifeSpan network.

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Sally, June and Linda’s Story:  Friends for Life

Sally, June and Linda have known each other since grade school.  Now they are in their early thirties and for the past eight years they have shared a rental house in a south King County suburb.  All three young women lived with their families before moving in together.  The process of finding their new home together started with Sally.  When Sally’s two sisters left for college, she talked to her parents about her desire to leave and go to college too.  Although still in high school, Sally’s parents began to explore opportunities for her to live on her own.  They had always acted on the belief that Sally should have as many opportunities as her two sisters.  Sally’s mother, Kim, knew from experience that if anything was going to get done she would need to take action.   Kim is one of those parents who often make things happen in her community. She had advocated tirelessly with local government officials to create more recreational opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. The local newspaper had even made a cartoon of her and the mayor debating the issue. Kim was involved in many state and local disability advisory councils and helped to create a local parent advocacy group. She had spent time honing her advocacy skills, building networks, and educating herself about how to develop resources to create opportunities for her daughter and others with disabilities. From her experience, Kim knew that if housing was going to be developed in her community she would need to initiate it. 

When Sally was attending school in the 1980’s, students with disabilities could attend only two community schools – full inclusion had not begun.  As a result, Kim got to know many parents throughout her community whose children with disabilities went to the same school as Sally. Through these relationships, when Kim was ready to organize a meeting about housing possibilities she had a ready group of parents to invite. This group met for several years to educate themselves about different housing options and how to finance them.  Unfortunately nothing got started and the group dispersed.  In the meantime, Kim pursued housing opportunities just for Sally.  She learned about and applied for a Section 8 voucher that would subsidize rental costs for her daughter.  

After a year, Kim decided to bring some parents together again.  This time she focused her efforts by writing a letter to parents of six young women that Sally knew from school.  She wanted to know if they were interested in joining her and Sally to seek common housing arrangements for their daughters.  One of the mothers said she was ready but her daughter wasn’t.  Another mother didn’t come back after the first meeting.  Another mother and daughter were very interested but family issues preventing them from pursuing it. That left Sally, June and Linda who had grown up together and who were ready to move out of their parents’ homes.

With housemates identified the families began to look for a house and a care provider to live with the three women and provide oversight and overnight, emergency care.  They began to search for just the right person using their personal connections. One of the mothers knew of a classroom aide who was interested if she could share provider responsibilities with a friend. These two young women were about the same age as Sally, June, and Linda and it appeared a good match. This mother also knew a speech therapist who wanted to rent her three bedroom home while away in England for two years, and with that it all came together. The Section 8 voucher that Sally had used to rent the house helped make the arrangement affordable for everybody.   Unrelated people with disabilities meet the Section 8 definition of family so Sally, June and Linda shared one voucher that subsidized their rent, based on their combined incomes. All three young women also qualified for Medicaid Personal Care assistance that would help provide for their daily individual personal support needs. 

The women moved into the small rental home together and immediately made adjustments so everyone could be accommodated. They had arranged for two care providers to share the family room and provide overnight and emergency oversight, and Sally, June, and Linda had their own small bedrooms.  It didn’t take long to realize this situation wasn’t working as well as they had hoped. Lifestyle differences between the three young women and the overnight providers made it difficult for them to build mutually beneficial relationships.  They had hoped that their similar ages would create more camaraderie and shared interests. Sally, June, and Linda attended church together on Sundays, but the two care providers attended religious services on Saturdays, leaving the three women on their own.  This meant their parents needed to take their daughters to church on Sunday and to find other ways to fill their time on Saturday.

After two years of accommodating these different lifestyles and juggling schedules it came time to make a change.  In addition, the owner of the house returned from England so the young women had to move anyway.  Sally, June and Linda all moved back to their parents’ home to regroup and explore new housing options, with the idea that they would eventually figure out a way to  live together in the future.

After this first difficult experience, everything changed for the better.  The parents decided to see if they could find another care provider through their church connections. They now realized how important attending church on Sunday was for the young women, and they hoped to find a care provider who shared their same faith.  They talked to church members about finding someone who was connected to the church.

During this time, Diane had just moved back to the community and joined the church. She was looking for a place to live and a job.  Although she was closer in age to the young women’s parents, she had all of the attributes they were looking for.  The parents asked Diane if she would be interested in being a care provider for their daughters and she accepted.  Diane came to this position with no experience working with people with disabilities.  But she has just the right temperament and attitude to meet the needs of everyone in the household. As Diane says, “this role is second nature to me”. 

With the care provider in place the parents began to look for rental houses that accepted Section 8.  They felt they had a strong rental history and were desirable renters with three sets of parents willing to help care for the house.  They soon rented a lovely four bedroom home in a south King County neighborhood, close to their families and in a familiar community.  Sally, June, and Linda have their own personally decorated bedrooms and share a common bathroom down the hall.  Diane occupies the master suite, with a private bathroom, that she has turned into her comfortable living space and a personal refuge.  The house includes a living room, dining room, and family room with ample space to entertain, watch TV, and cook and share meals.  A huge garage is filled with extra food, household supplies, and out of season clothes.

As this new housing opportunity began to come together, June and Linda had an opportunity to get their own Section 8 vouchers.  Kim knew it was ideal for each of the women to have their own voucher.  With individual vouchers, their portion of rent is based on 30% of their individual income.  When they shared a voucher, the rent was based on 30% of the combined, total household income.  If one housemate’s income goes up, the rent increases for everyone.  If each housemate has her own voucher, she has the freedom to move to her own place if she chooses, taking her voucher with her.

All four women have lived together in this same home for almost six years. Over time they have developed compatible routines with plenty of opportunity to do things together or alone as they choose.  Sally has worked for Seattle City Light for the past seven years where she distributes the office mail.  She schedules the Access van to pick her up around 6:30 to be at work by 9:00 a.m. June works part time at a day care center.  For now, working in the morning suits June as she likes to rest in the afternoon. Linda is in the process of finding the right job and is currently busy exploring various possibilities.  Linda works several days each month in a clothing store but hasn’t had a steady job since the move, so spends more time at home by herself than the others.

Each day Diane prompts the three young women through their morning routines.  She’s up at 5:00 a.m. to help them make breakfast and to make sure they get off to their various jobs.  Diane needs to be home by 5:00 p.m. to help prepare meals and to offer whatever assistance each woman needs. This leaves the day for Diane to do what she wants whether it’s another part time job, time with her friends or family, or doing errands and activities she enjoys. 

The women all participate in maintaining the home and they each have a list of chores that they share.  Diane helps them keep track of their various chores by creating lists and schedules.  She’s also has developed health charts so the young women can keep track of medications, vitamins, and medical appointments. Diane takes her cue from the young women about how much they want to do.  June recently told Diane she wanted to learn how to cook.  Diane is also available to help the housemates work through any issues that come up, which thus far has not been very often. She likes to deal with any issues that come up immediately so nothing builds up between the housemates. All of the young woman can be home alone, including during the night, if needed.  They have a security system that is turned on at night, and because Diane’s brother works for the local police department their house is noted for extra protection.  This helps the families feel secure and comfortable if their daughters are home alone. 

The three young women also keep busy with active social lives.  They are involved in activities offered by the city’s recreation program including a book club, theater group, sports, and ceramic classes.  On Saturdays, they often go out to restaurants together, especially if there is a special event to celebrate, such as a birthday. All of the young women have close family ties and spend lots of time with their families.  On weekends, when the young women are with friends or visiting their families, Diane has the day to do whatever she wants like visiting friends or family, or just relaxing at home alone. 

In order to attract, and most importantly keep, a great live-in support person like Diane, the families were able to come up with an attractive package that meets Diane’s needs.  A stable home for their daughters is the ultimate goal. This means they want a care provider they can count on and a living environment that feels like family. They felt that multiple staff working eight hour shifts would not provide a feeling of home. Sally’s Section 8 housing voucher includes a subsidy for an extra bedroom for a live in aide, and covers Diane’s rent and all utilities.  All four of the housemates equally share their food expenses. 

When Diane has any extended periods of time off, the young women usually go to their parents’ homes.  If any of the parents are unavailable, one of the other parents or a sibling steps in. In addition, the women often visit their families for holidays, special family events or vacations. Linda has a large family and is often with them.  This provides Diane with six major holidays and other opportunities for time off or reduced responsibilities.   The families do everything they can to accommodate Diane’s schedule and to give her time off when she needs it.  As Kim says, “You provide support where you see support is needed.”   Kim also tells Diane about training opportunities focusing on care and support for people with developmental disabilities.  Kim believes the care provider is the key to success.  She adds, “If you don’t have a competent and trustworthy care provider you can’t relax, and everything falls apart if she leaves.”  As Diane sees it, she has found a job that suits her and that is well compensated. 

Sally believes the best thing about living in this household is her feeling of independence.  All the women are satisfied with their housing arrangement and have no plans to leave.  The families feel fortunate that their daughters live with longtime friends with whom they have developed a commitment.  As Kim says, “I knew the families and there’s a lot of comfort in known quantities.” 

As in all households there are occasional problems and stressful situations.  Someone can come home feeling stressed after a long workday and there are occasional disagreements to work out.  It is also well known that change and uncertainty often produce stress. Therefore the stable and reliable housing arrangement the families have created and maintained for their daughters has been very good for them during these years. The three women and Diane are happy living and growing together. For now, all is well.  

Words of Advice:
•    Use personal connections and your networks to find the right housing and personal care support. 
•    The care provider is the key to success. If you don’t have a competent and trustworthy care provider you can’t be confident in continued success.  Without a reliable and steady care provider everything can fall apart. 
•    Do your best to create a great package for the care provider. If you want someone good it helps to be able to provide compensation and a flexible, accommodating schedule with room for negotiation along the way.
•    From the very beginning sit down with the involved families and talk about your needs and goals.  At a minimum come together every year to talk about what’s working, what’s not working, and what you need to do to make it work. many decisions must be made such as whether to do spring cleaning, whether to have the rugs cleaned, whether to buy a vacuum or lawn mower, and how will purchases be paid for?   You need to establish a method for making decisions.   Come up with agreements from the very beginning about how this is going to work. For example, if you put money into an account every month you can use it to make purchases needed for the household.
•    It makes a big difference if each housemate has their own Section 8 voucher.  This ensures that if the housing and roommate situation changes, each roommate would have her own voucher and subsidy to find housing.  
•    Develop a communication system that works for the families and the care provider.  Open communication is vital.  Each person may have a preferable method such as e-mail or phone or face to face meetings.  Without a good system of communication problems and issues will become more difficult to resolve.
•    Finding housemates that are compatible is key.  Diane believes this household works because the young women get along.

Housing:
•    All three young women have their own Section 8 voucher.
•    Each housemate’s contribution towards rent and utilities is based on the ratio determined by Section 8 and is approximately 30% of their income.
•    All four women share equally in their internet/cable expense and contribute toward food expenses every month. 
•    The parents created a system called POM – Parent of the Month.  Each family rotates being in charge of the household for one month which includes splitting bills, mowing the lawn, and dealing with household problems or issues that come up such as purchasing a garage door opener. 
•    From a landlord’s perspective, the women are ideal renters.  Instead of asking the landlord to take care of minor problems, like fixing a toilet, the parents are called.  The landlord comes to the house only once a year for the Section 8 inspection. 

Reasonable Accommodations:
•    Sally received an accommodation for an extra bedroom to allow for a live-in provider
•    The three women also have accommodations to live in shared housing, so that their individual Section 8 vouchers can be used in the same house

Support:
•    The parents handle the personal finances of their daughters. They also take them to hair appointments and doctor and dentist appointments.
•    Parents provide support where it is needed to make it work.  For example, Kim talks to Sally regularly when she gets home from work.
•    Besides their parents, the young women have extended families who are very involved in their lives: siblings, brother and sister in laws, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles.

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Katie’s Story:  A Life of Freedom and Self Discovery

Katie could not stop showing her excitement about her upcoming 21st birthday party.  But then again, Katie is always animated and enthusiastic about her life.  While her mother Debbie cooks her lunch and her care provider Eric helps her eat, Katie wants to talk about her birthday party and her plans for the day.  She and Eric are heading into Seattle to hear music at the Westlake Mall.  To assist her communication Katie uses a device called Tough Book.  It may take time to get her ideas across, but she’s persistent.  Nothing seems to stop Katie from expressing herself.  She’s smart, energetic, and free spirited.

Katie was born with cerebral palsy.  At the age of three, her mother started teaching her to read.  When Debbie discovered Katie was moving her eyes to point to words, she knew she understood.  At six, Katie took a nonverbal IQ test and tested normal.  She attended an alternative elementary school and the local high school.  She was never enrolled in special education classes, but instead would get help from a resource room teacher who would attend classes with her.  Her mother thinks this is one reason why Katie is so self confident and comfortable in the community.  Katie is quadriplegic and has limited verbal communication.  These limitations, together with her intelligence and curiosity, create unique challenges for supporting her development.  She uses a battery powered wheelchair, a communication device, and needs help with all of her personal care activities.

Katie’s parents moved to Seattle in 1981 and bought a house in the Wallingford neighborhood where she has lived all her life.  When she was little her mother would carry her up the front steps of their bungalow home.  As Katie grew older and became too big to carry, Debbie knew they needed to move or needed to make their house more accessible.  Debbie enjoyed this familiar neighborhood, where they knew their neighbors and lived within walking distance of movies, shops, restaurants, parks, and bus stops.  Originally from New York City, she and her husband enjoyed urban living.  Instead of moving, they decided to design and build a large accessible bedroom for Katie in the back of their home.  Debbie and Katie’s father divorced soon after the addition was built.  Debbie and Katie stayed in the home and continued to make accommodations for Katie’s comfort and to help her thrive.  Soon they realized Katie’s bedroom at the back of the house was too cold and was causing her body to stiffen and become spastic. So Debbie installed a hot tub.  She also divided Katie’s bedroom into two rooms to heat it more efficiently. 

At age 18 most young people start to talk about moving out on their own.  Debbie wanted this experience for Katie.  When Katie turned 18, Debbie began to ask herself questions.  Where could Katie live that would give her maximum independence and keep her safe?  How could Katie remain at home and also get the privacy she and her mother both needed?  Debbie did not want Katie living in a group setting solely for people with disabilities. She was concerned that Katie could become depressed or give up hope without typical activities for a girl her age.  At the same time, it was difficult for Debbie to envision Katie living on her own because of the isolation and the safety risks involved.

Debbie began to explore creative housing options.  She went to meetings and talked to people to get ideas.  Katie shared her ideas with her mom and expressed her desire to stay in their family home.  With this input, Debbie developed an idea to turn Katie’s current living space into a separate apartment. Although still attached to Debbie’s house, this independent unit was considered an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), also known as a mother-in-law apartment.  Under certain circumstances, an ADU can qualify as Section 8 housing.  Debbie talked to the King County Developmental Disabilities housing coordinator who was encouraging.  This housing opportunity solved many of Debbie’s concerns; Katie would be secure, and she and Katie would both have privacy  The Section 8 housing inspector also liked this potential housing solution.  He suggested that Debbie create a separate living room so the apartment could be approved as a two bedroom unit. A two bedroom unit would be necessary if Katie ever needed to hire a live-in care provider

It took Debbie a year to design and build an apartment unit that met the qualifications for Section 8.  Katie’s ideas for her living space were included in the design.  Debbie limited her remodeling costs by using recycled materials, finding sales on building materials, and hiring carpenters willing to be flexible and creative. Debbie wanted to create a European look that would fit the style of her current home.  She found old church doors and mission style windows that the carpenter used to build a barrier between Debbie’s kitchen and family room and Katie’s new apartment.  Debbie could lock the door and pull curtains across the windows to create separation and privacy between her home and Katie’s living space.   At the same time, this solution provided easy access to Katie for nighttime monitoring and in case of an emergency.  In addition, a kitchen unit with a stove and refrigerator was installed in a small area that was previously a large closet.  Katie made all the decisions about interior decorations.  She wanted a Phantom of the Opera motif, so Debbie painted the apartment in rich colors, decorated with fabrics, and displayed a Phantom poster on her bedroom wall.  Personal knick-knacks important to Katie fill her apartment.  Katie’s new home reflects her personality and she loves it. 

Katie has a busy schedule.  She and Debbie are currently developing a customized employment experience at Ballard Community Center as a community outreach coordinator.  Katie had successfully worked at the Ballard Community Center through King County DDD’s School-to-Work project when she was in the final year of her school’s transition program.  Last year, she received a small stipend for her work at the Center. Now she is seeking a halftime job helping with fundraisers and with presentations to neighborhood schools to get students to sign up for Center activities.  The current staff at the Community Center didn’t have time to do the outreach, and this job fit Katie’s personality and skills, as she’s friendly and likes talking to people.  Debbie has programmed her computer to support Katie talking about the Community Center’s activities and answering questions that may come up.  Because Katie needs someone to be with her on the job, Debbie is seeking 1:1 support through the Medicaid waiver funding from DSHS. 

Debbie is not only Katie’s mother but also her companion, advocate, guardian, program manager, landlord, and care provider.  She constantly finds ways for Katie to express her energetic and outgoing spirit and pursue her interests.  Now that Katie has graduated from high school, Debbie needs to work harder so that Katie can develop her potential and find her way.  Debbie was afraid of Katie having an empty schedule following graduation, and she needed time to adjust to her new responsibility for finding meaningful activities for her daughter.  This takes a great deal of Debbie’s time and energy that might normally go to her full-time job as a speech therapist. 

In addition to developing a job for Katie, Debbie recently wrote a grant to Seattle’s Parks and Recreation program to create an accessible garden at Ballard Community Center.  She is working on another grant to develop music interests after Katie began working with a music teacher to learn the piano.  Debbie also plans to develop a book and movie club for young adults.  She envisions a group of Katie’s peers -- getting together to discuss books or watch movies.  As a speech therapist, Debbie continues to program Katie’s communication device to keep up with her growing interests and communication skills.  Debbie knows the words and phrases that are most useful to Katie, and Katie makes her mother confirm her understanding.   Katie’s ability to move her fingers developed just recently.  The communication device was initially programmed with a simple word system activated by touch.  Now Katie has a sophisticated system with phrases of different levels of complexity. 

Katie’s gregarious personality engages those around her, and she enjoys most activities as long as she is actively involved.  She has lots of interests, but she gets bored easily.  She can be active throughout her waking hours.  Because of this desire for a variety of activities, and because of her physical support needs and special diet, Katie qualifies for Medicaid Personal Care hours each month.   She has someone with her at all times to help with personal care, both at home and while out in the community.  When in the community, Katie needs someone to help her communicate, use the toilet, eat meals, and navigate the sidewalks, streets, and transportation system. 

Eric is Katie’s primary care provider.  He first met her as an instructional assistant for Seattle Public Schools and has been her part-time care provider for the past five years.   He recently left his other job to work with Katie full time.  This job fits his personality, accommodates his desired work schedule, and provides experience toward a future goal as a special education teacher.  Eric prefers a non-traditional job with an atypical and flexible schedule.  Working from late morning to early evening fits his personal lifestyle and gives him time to play music and read.  

Eric takes his vacation when Katie and Debbie take theirs. He takes days off when necessary by giving Debbie notice to rearrange the schedule.  He has latitude to be spontaneous.  To some this environment may appear simple and straightforward, but Eric views it as very fluid and challenging.  Because Eric and Katie have similar interests they spend lots of time together, and Eric feels he is not missing out on anything he would normally do.  They go to the mall, to movies, to the Seattle Center, and to various community events such as Bite of Seattle or the Folk Life Festival.  In particular they share musical interests and often go to music concerts and clubs together. They also volunteer at the neighborhood community garden where they are regulars.  Like Katie, Eric is gregarious and enjoys meeting and talking with people.  He has become skilled at interpreting Katie’s communications and keeping conversations flowing. 

Debbie manages the personal care support for Katie.  She hires support providers and coordinates their schedules.  Providers receive pay and health benefits through the First Choice Child Care agency.  Sometimes it has been necessary for Debbie to manage Katie’s five support staff at one time.  Debbie discovered that having one primary care provider works best.  In the past she would hire several people to work equal shifts, but not all of them were dependable and some did not always show up to work.  Currently Eric and Debbie are Katie’s two full time care providers.  Veronica provides about 20 hours a week and helps with some of Katie’s personal support needs at home and out in the community.  However Veronica cannot lift Katie and thus she is unable to work independently with her.  Eric and Debbie are the only two care providers who can work independently with Katie since they can lift her by themselves.  Katie prefers to hire strong male care providers who can lift her safely while being as sensitive as possible to her privacy.   As Eric says, “There is a level of intimacy involved with Katie’s care.  She needs everything - dressing, eating, bathing, and total support for using the toilet.”

Debbie says she can find many people who can do housework or cook meals, but this isn’t what Katie needs.  Her strong desire to be active and her substantial personal care needs can make working with her very exhausting.   But people who work with Katie love her vibrant and infectious personality and enjoy the opportunity to share interests with her.   Debbie encourages care providers to be themselves so that Katie can learn from them.  One support worker took her to watch Sunday football at a local restaurant.  Katie loved it and would cheer with all of his friends.  As a result, Katie now has a great interest in sports and knows the rules of football and other games.  In addition, Eric brings his guitar to work and Katie enjoys hearing him play.  Because Katie loves people, Debbie looks for care providers who are open and who want to build reciprocal relationships.  She doesn’t want her daughter to feel that she is with people who are only there to meet her support needs.  With these positive experiences, Katie has developed an appreciation for people and a desire to get to know them.  She likes to be out in the community late at night like other 21 year olds.  Sometimes she and her mother or sister will stay out until 2:00 a.m. listening to music at a local club, going to a late movie, or relaxing in a coffee shop.

In order for Katie to be in the community as often and as long as she would like, Debbie has arranged for the installation of eight stationary toilet posts in restrooms around the community.  Katie carries a portable toilet seat with her that attaches to these posts.  Once attached, she is strapped onto the post giving her the ability to independently use the toilet.  These toilet posts are located in restrooms of community gathering places that Katie frequents, including the Seattle Center, Northlake Mall, the Green Lake and Ballard Community Centers, and several coffee shops among other places.   Others needing this toileting access can use these posts as well.  

Debbie continually keeps up with the changing needs and desires of her daughter so she can live the vital and dynamic life of typical 21 year olds.  Besides helping Katie develop her communication system and finding a practical solution for her toileting needs in the community, Debbie has encouraged Katie to become adept at driving her electric wheelchair.  Her resulting ability to explore her environment has fostered Katie’s development more than anything else. When Katie was young, a physical therapist told her she would never be able to use an electric wheelchair.  It has taken just ten years to feel confident driving one and her driving skills continue to improve.

Katie’s electric wheelchair has caused some damage around the house.  However, Debbie believes it is important for Katie to have the degree of independence that her wheelchair allows.  The wheelchair provides the ability to travel freely around her home and make independent decisions throughout the day about where to go and what to do.  This physical movement also loosens up her muscles and lessens the tendency for her body to get stiff.  Although Katie can maneuver her wheelchair in the community, she needs someone with her at all times to help her navigate curb cuts and to help her when her feet get caught and she needs assistance.    Katie also needs someone to frequently reposition her and someone to help her communicate.  Although Katie can ask for help, she is not able to explain why she needs it.

Although Katie’s housing and personal care services currently work well for her, Debbie is always thinking about Katie’s future and how she can plan for it.  She wonders if Katie’s apartment can become a condominium so Katie could purchase it someday.  She thinks about the possibility of selling Katie’s part of the house to an organization that provides residential support to people with disabilities.  In that way Debbie could feel secure knowing someone was there to oversee Katie’s support and to schedule back up staff if Katie’s support workers miss their shift. 

Debbie wants Katie to continue living in Wallingford where everything is nearby and where her neighbors know her and look after her.  A neighbor once told Debbie that many people watch out for Katie, making Debbie confident that she will know if there are any concerns.  Most of all, Debbie wants to nurture Katie’s insatiable curiosity about life.  This means helping her stay physically active and continuing to work on her communication system.  Katie is happy and healthy.  As Debbie says, “I think she is more true to herself than other people her age because she does not have to prove anything.  I think she is happy because she is in touch with her core self.  She has a level of security and at the same time needs to feel productive.  She has a good life and I want her to have a good shot at life like the rest of us.  She is a productive and self-actualized person.”

Word of Advice:
•    Be patient. Persist. Don’t expect things to happen quickly. 
•    Think in terms of the big picture and not just the immediate.  But remember, the immediate leads to the big picture. 
•    Go after your dreams.  You can have the same dreams for your child with disabilities as you do for your child without disabilities. 
•    Your child’s future should be based on reality, but don’t let others discourage you.  Listen to your heart as well.  Pursue the possible and it will happen. 
•    Keep yourself positive and open.
•    Give your son or daughter a chance to achieve what they want in their life and it will help in the big picture.  If they are taught not to look beyond what they are told or what is easiest, they will stop making progress and their life down the road will be more limited. 
•    All people need and want new and different experiences no matter who they are.  Don’t have preset notions about how to treat people with disabilities because you may well be limiting them. 
•    Don’t go for perfection.  Just get things moving and appreciate what you have even if it’s imperfect.  Go with what you have, and make improvements as you go along.

Housing:
•    A family home was remodeled to include an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) that qualifies for rent with a Section 8 voucher.  This apartment is attached to the house.
•    The apartment has a separate kitchen, entrance, and parking space, together with the wall between Katie’s apartment and her mother’s living space. All of these features have allowed this unit to qualify as an ADU.   In certain circumstances, depending on local city codes and zoning requirements, an ADU can qualify for Section 8.
•    The home is located in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood.  It is within walking distance of numerous shops, restaurants, parks, libraries, bus stops, and other amenities.

Reasonable Accommodation requests:
•    Katie was granted a reasonable accommodation to rent from a relative and to transfer, or port, her voucher from King County Housing Authority to Seattle Housing Authority immediately, before the initial 12-month period had lapsed.

Support:
•    Katie qualifies for Medicaid Personal Care hours due to her need for continuing personal care support throughout the day.
•    Debbie manages all of Katie’s personal care, including hiring support workers and managing the schedule.  All workers receive the same pay and health care benefits.
•    Debbie and one other care provider provide the majority of support for Katie, and do so independently.  Other care providers provide support as scheduled, but cannot be alone with Katie as she needs people who can lift and reposition her safely.
•    Katie’s mother provides overnight support for Katie by checking on her during the night and repositioning her when needed.
•    Katie has a job coach. 

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Emily, Carolyn, and Allison’s Story:  Realizing Dreams – A Home in the Heart of their Lifelong Community

Eight years ago Emily’s parents, Mike and Carol, bought a house where they hoped their daughter would someday live. Today they feel fortunate that they had the foresight and financial ability to purchase a lovely four bedroom home on a tree lined street in Issaquah. In today’s housing market the purchase of this home would be much more difficult.  But in 2000, when Emily was still in High School, it was possible, and Mike and Carol had a dream that someday Emily would live in her own home in the community where she grew up. Not only does this guarantee a home for Emily in the future, it allows her to live close to her family and near the center of Issaquah’s vibrant shopping and restaurant district. 

After buying the house Mike and Carol rented it for four years until Emily was ready to move out of her family home.  During this time, they contacted two other families whose daughters, Carolyn and Allison, were similar in age to Emily.  Carolyn and Allison had gone to school together and were close friends.  The three families knew each other from their advocacy work with their school district to create inclusive schools and classrooms.  For a couple of years, they met for dinner at local restaurants so they and their daughters could get to know each other. They shared hopes and dreams and found they had much in common. In particular, their daughters needed help around the clock with all of their personal and household needs; more help than most other young people with disabilities.  With compatibility, similar goals, and shared interests as their foundation, the families met at each others’ homes to outline the ideal housing situation for their daughters and to develop a detailed plan to accomplish it.

Allison and Carolyn moved into the home gradually before Emily arrived.  At the beginning Carolyn’s mother, Fran, would take her to her new home in the morning and pick her up at night.  As she became more comfortable, Carolyn would spend most of the week and some nights until she adjusted to her new home. Fran needed time to adjust as well.  She recalls, “I was nervous and petrified to have someone else providing support for Carolyn, so we weaned her gently, one day at a time.”  Fran noticed that Carolyn loved her new home from the beginning. She recognized it as her own, understood that she was separating from her mother at age 22, and she began setting up her room just the way she liked.

Before Allison and Carolyn’s Section 8 vouchers could be applied towards the rent at Mike and Carol’s house, an inspection that met guidelines set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was done. Once a landlord screens the individuals who have Section 8 vouchers, the local Housing Authority that issued the voucher sends inspectors to ensure the rental property is safe and to make sure the rent is considered ‘reasonable’ compared to other similar rental units in the area. Even with a slightly higher rental cap permitted by King County Housing Authority for east King County properties, Carol and Mike received less total rent from the combination of Allison and Carolyn’s rental portion and the Section 8 subsidy than they could have by renting to other tenants. In this sense, they subsidize the rent the women pay.  However, for Carol and Mike, securing a nearby home for their daughter far outweighed the extra rent they could receive from other renters. Carol and Mike acknowledge that replicating this housing model in any east King County community at today’s housing prices would be difficult.  Homes were still relatively affordable eight years ago and they currently have the financial resources to cover housing costs not subsidized by the Section 8 vouchers.  As Mike says, “you can never buy this house as an investment and rent it as these rates.  You’ve got to be a parent who is willing and able to subsidize their son or daughter.”  Carol adds, “But we are okay with that.  It’s for Emily”.

In order for Emily to receive approval to use her Section 8 voucher in this house, she needed to request reasonable accommodation to rent from a relative. Mike and Carol are not residents at this house, and Emily had support from KCDDD’s housing coordinator to document the need for this housing arrangement, based on her disability. Once this request was approved, Emily moved into the home, two years after Allison and Carolyn. She also needed time to transition from her familiar family home due to her diabetes and its strict insulin regimen. 

When the housing was securely in place, the families hired a care provider to support the women with their personal care needs. The first care provider supported the young women for two years, but she did not work out as well as they had hoped. After lengthy discussions, the families decided to terminate her employment. Shortly afterwards, Margaret was hired as the care provider.  Her personality and commitment to this work suited the household. 

During the first two years, when Emily still lived with her parents, she visited her future home and occasionally spent the night.  This helped her ease into the new living situation and provided Mike and Carol an opportunity to adjust to Emily leaving home as well. During this time of transition, Mike and Carol found more time to be with each other and with their other two children.  In addition, this period of transition allowed Margaret to ease into her new role as care provider with only two individuals to fully support instead of three.   Although the extended transition time benefitted Emily and the household, it meant that Mike and Carol had to cover Emily’s housing costs until she was ready to move into her new home.

Margaret is paid from the Medicaid Personal Care hours the young women are individually assessed for, based on their particular support needs. Besides her salary, Margaret receives three weeks of vacation a year, ten paid holidays, and her rent and utilities are covered.  If she wants additional time off, she can pay someone to take her place as long as the families approve.  Margaret has about 20 hours during the week by herself to do errands or to take care of other household responsibilities when Emily, Carolyn, and Allison are working or participating in community activities. Margaret also receives a monthly stipend for household transportation costs. At this point, the young women do not use public transportation or even ACCESS services.  Fran feels Carolyn is vulnerable since she could not communicate with anyone if there was an accident.  Margaret’s job is full and challenging but she says it’s the best job she has ever had.

The primary benefits their daughters receive, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Section 8 Housing vouchers, compensate for the costs needed to maintain this housing arrangement.  However it is family involvement, with myriad supports the families provide, that makes this household work. By living in the same community as their daughters it is easy for the parents to stop by when needed or just to visit.  The families are always ready and willing to help, and Carol and Mike visit a couple times a week.  Carol gives Emily her medication, takes her to all medical and dental appointments, picks up medicines, helps her buy clothes, and takes her to swimming therapy every Thursday afternoon. Carolyn and Allison’s parents provide similar support. The families all agreed from the beginning that they needed to be an integral part of the support team so that none of the young women would lack what they needed. 

The families help in many other ways.  Each set of parents has a specific role to contribute to the overall management of the household.  As the landlord and homeowner, Mike communicates with King County Housing Authority and monitors the expenses for the home.  He also takes care of any home maintenance needs that arise.  Another parent handles agreements with Margaret and other personal care providers, including approving and covering time off when respite care is needed, and communicating all agreements with the other families.  The third family oversees the household business that employs the three young women.  Carol roams between these three areas of responsibility to help wherever she is needed.  She also pays a housecleaner to come once a month. Periodically, the families organize a work day to complete a house project such as building a fence or landscaping the yard.    

Sometimes family members stay with the young women when Margaret goes out of town, and they are often reimbursed for this. Carolyn’s sister sometimes spends the night, and Emily’s sister Erica has stayed at the house for short periods.  All of the young women have brothers and sisters who are important to them and involved in their lives.  The families organize barbeques and invite all the extended family members, including brothers and sisters.  This is done so they can get to know each other, since at some point in the future it may become their responsibility to keep the household going.  As Carolyn’s mother Fran says, “In the back of my mind I think I’m not going to be here forever and I don’t want my daughters to attend to Carolyn’s everyday needs, but I expect them to oversee things and to intervene if there is an emergency”.

The families continue to meet together and work out issues that inevitably arise. It is not always easy.  In the beginning the families had different opinions about the quality of care from the first care provider.  Not everyone agreed that she was a good match for their daughters and it took time to come up with a solution that worked for everyone. Most recently the families hired a professional arbitrator to assist with a difficult issue.  But working through these issues has enhanced their respect for each other and helped them focus on what is truly important for the entire household.  Mike says that family involvement is the best thing about this housing arrangement. The three families support each other in addition to their daughters.  It also ensures a high level of safety and protection for each of the three young women.  

Emily, Carolyn, and Allison share a common goal to be working at least twenty hours a week. It has been a struggle at times for them to find community jobs. Emily used to work with the Issaquah School District serving lunches at a local elementary school.  She did well and liked her job as a lunch assistant, but lost it when the job was automated.  She now works two days a week at a pet store.  Since community employment has been difficult to find, one of the parents developed a small in-home business that they run out of the garage. The business, ACE of Issaquah (Adults with Creative Employment), employs all three women about twelve hours a week.  The women assemble packets and shred documents for local companies.  The lack of community employment opportunities and funding to support individualized jobs has frustrated the families, and they hope working at ACE is temporary.  Carol and Mike describe searching for meaningful employment for Emily as their most difficult struggle.  Lack of adequate employment means the families expend a great deal of time and energy advocating for community jobs, developing and supporting ACE, or finding ways their daughters can be involved in their communities. Currently, they have combined the employment resources available for the three women to hire a job coach to work at ACE of Issaquah.  They hope these resources will be expanded to support each young woman to have her own individualized job in the community.  

Not having integrated employment and individualized interests to pursue results in the women spending much of their time together.  The down side to this is that Fran believes the three women spend too much time together.  This has causes some difficulty for the housemates, including some arguing and competition.  The families are looking for ways that allow each of the women to have their own jobs and activities.

Carol and Mike are active community members and their close community ties are important factors in making this housing arrangement work.  Carol and Mike’s lengthy involvement with the Rotary Clubs of Issaquah and Sammamish has helped find jobs for Emily, Carolyn, and Allison.  Carol is a member of the Issaquah Community Center Board where she promotes and designs recreation programs that include people with disabilities.  The young women spend about twelve hours a week at the Community Center taking part in a variety of community activities.  Through contacts with local schools, Carol has also recruited a high school student to read to Emily once a week.  Allison volunteers with a retired neighbor to walk dogs in the neighborhood.  As Carol says, “You really have to be involved in the community to make this work.  Lots of people know us.  People help each other.  This is our village, why would we move our daughter out of the village that helped raise her?” 

Mike and Carol intentionally created this “community based solution” so the families could be directly involved in the creation and continuation of supports for their daughters. Their family-oriented housing arrangement ensures that family involvement is at the core of what makes it work. They are familiar with non-profit organizations and licensed Adult Family Home models as alternative housing options for people with disabilities. In many licensed homes, care providers often own the home where they also provide support to people who live there.  In other situations, non-profit organizations might own and manage the home and hire the care providers. In both situations, family members are not as involved or as able to make decisions as the families in this household. 

Carol and Mike believe that licensing requirements would limit the flexibility they wanted for Emily’s living situation. Although licensed homes receive more oversight because of the extensive training requirements staff go through, the families point out that careful monitoring by the state occurs in their household as well.  They undergo yearly assessments conducted by DDD Case Managers, annual nursing visits to assess medical care, and yearly Section 8 inspections to ensure the safety of the home.  In addition to these outside evaluations, regular visits from the three sets of parents track any emerging issues or unmet needs for the household. These checks and balances are adequate for the families, ensuring them that their daughter’s lives are full and meaningful.  As Mike points out, “Since there are no regulations, rules, special zoning requirements or licenses, the young woman live on their residential street with the same rights and responsibilities as their neighbors.”  

Carol and Mike also realize that even though they began as an unlicensed home they may need to reevaluate this in the future.  A licensed home may be more advantageous when families no longer have the ability to be intimately involved in the planning and on-going support of the household.  Fran also acknowledges this, especially when Carolyn will no longer be able to stay at Fran’s home.  Fran currently provides the option of having two care providers so that they can schedule time off as needed. The families continue to discuss plans even though everyone is content for now.  As Mike says, “We still don’t have our arms around everything”.

Although Carol and Mike spend a great deal of time making the household work and being with their daughter, their life changed when Emily moved out.  As Carol says, “After 20 years it’s a big break.  Even though we’re still involved, we don’t have to think about and do everything 24/7.”  Mike and Carol are motivated to make this work because they need to spend more time with other aspects of their lives. They now have more time and energy to spend with their other two children who are going through their own transitions and getting ready to go to college.  Mike explains his motivation for creating this housing arrangement as, “I’m 58 and I would like to think I have another phase of my life that doesn’t have a high level of intense parental supervision and involvement.  That’s an incentive, but we also know that young adults placed in independent living situations do much better.  They develop, it’s intellectually challenging to them, and it’s the natural course of growth and independence.  I think they really do become more successful as people because of this rich living experience.  We really do believe this is the best thing for all parties.”  Fran agrees.  She knows that Carolyn is very happy and there’s no doubt in her mind that her daughter loves living in her own home. Carolyn has had a boyfriend for a couple of years who she wants to marry someday.  As Fran puts it, “I never would have dreamed that she would be working, living in her own home, have a boyfriend, and have all of this activity.  Never in my dreams.”

And Mike reflects, “I can’t tell you that it was entirely thought out, but when my daughter was sixteen I had the ability to buy a house. I thought maybe it would work or maybe I would need to sell it, but I had to have a dream.  And the dream became a reality as things came together over time.”

Words of Advice:
•    Start early.  Plan in advance to make it work when the time is right.  “There’s a natural time to transition out of the home and it’s not at age fifty.  It has to be age appropriate and for some people it’s 30, some 25 or 21.  You have to tune into your child to know what is right.” 
•    It all needs to come together at the same time - finding compatible roommates ready to move in at the same time, Section 8 voucher subsidies, and a qualified care provider that can work with all of the families.  Because of the challenge in coordinating these various pieces, it may mean that families are doing more subsidizing and problem solving at the beginning until everything comes together.
•    Network.  Join Groups. Get help. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.  Come together with others.  People may not listen as carefully if you are by yourself, but if you become a group with common concerns there’s more power and structure and you get more accomplished.  This takes work, organization, and leadership. It can be intimidating to think about doing this yourself.
•    Do your homework to learn the systems so you can bring together the resources that work best for you. 
•    The cornerstone that holds it all together is the care provider.  If you can’t find quality care providers that you have confidence in, then your child will never leave home.  You need to have a good package to attract a good care provider including good pay, medical benefits, and supportive families. 
•    Communication between the families is a key.  Do fun things together. When we have parent meetings we often go out to eat so that we socialize as well as problem solve. 
•    Work together as families and be fair so that one person doesn’t do significantly more work than the others.  But it’s important to be flexible as someone may have a life situation that temporarily means they need to step back from some of their responsibilities.

Housing:
•    One of the housemate’s parents owns the home and rents it to the women.
•    The home has four bedrooms and a den and is situated on a residential street in Issaquah. It is within walking distance of two Community Centers, and many restaurants, shops, and parks.
•    The  women  utilize Section 8 housing vouchers to help them afford their rent.

Reasonable Accommodation:
•    Because Emily’s parents own this house, a reasonable accommodation was necessary to allow Emily to use her Section 8 voucher there. An additional accommodation request for shared housing was also granted so that the women could use their individual Section 8 vouchers to live together in the same house.

Support:
•    Each of the young women are assessed for Medicaid Personal Care hours to provide care for their individual support needs.
•    The care provides support to each of the young women, specific to the personal care needs they each have.
•    The families provide a myriad of supports to their daughters including taking them to all appointments, helping them shop for clothing, and finding other services in the community.
•    Because of the high level of personal support needed by each of the women, the care provider needs breaks during the day and ample time off. The women either go to their families’ homes or another respite care provider is paid to provide support in their home.
•    Financial benefits of Social Security, SSI, Section 8, Medicaid Personal Care, and King County employment support are all key pieces that enable the household to function.
•    Families subsidize some of the costs of this household including charging less than market rate for rent, paying for classes and activities at the Issaquah Community Center, and paying for incidental housing expenses.

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Nichole’s Story:  A Father and Daughter United in Life

In 2000, Barrington Scott got on an airplane and flew to Queens, New York to bring his daughter Nichole to Seattle where he had been living since 1994.  He was finally reuniting with his daughter after both years of struggle and years of hope, intent that someday he would care for Nichole in a home they shared.  When Barrington first left New York he was eager for a significant change in his life, and he saw his opportunity when his company had a job opening in its Seattle office.  Nichole stayed in Queens and moved to a public institution for people with developmental disabilities.  It broke Barrington’s heart to leave his young daughter, but he knew nothing about Seattle and even less about available services for Nichole, who needed extensive support in her life.  He planned to get to know the area and arrange for services for Nichole before moving her to Seattle.

For the next several years Barrington focused on bringing Nichole to Seattle.  Finding available services for Nichole in Washington was an unexpected struggle.  After one frustrating phone conversation with a person who told him no services were available for Nichole, he began to doubt that he would ever be able to make the necessary arrangements.  In the meantime he traveled to New York every two months to see Nichole, the only person who kept in close contact with her at the institution.  Her mother lived ten minutes away but never visited her daughter.  Sometimes he could only stay for two days, and no matter what it never felt enough.  For years Barrington’s schedule revolved around east coast time despite living out west.  He knew Nichole woke up at 6:00 a.m. in New York, so he sometimes got up at 3:00 a.m. in Seattle.   He never lost his emotional connection to his daughter who was 3000 miles away.

Barrington talked daily to a worker he trusted at the institution who cared about Nichole.  During these conversations she shared Nichole’s daily life and moods with Barrington.   The worker also informed him about problems at the institution.  Barrington became very alarmed when he found out that two children had died there from abuse and that Nichole might also be in danger.  She urged Barrington to take her out of the institution. Two days after hearing this news and despite being in a great deal of pain due to a recent injury, Barrington was on an airplane to New York. As Barrington says, “When your child is in a dangerous situation, you do what you have to.” Barrington and Nicole were reunited and they landed in Seattle the following week.

Nichole moved into the apartment that Barrington and her brother, a University of Washington student, shared.  They had lived in this two bedroom two-bathroom apartment since arriving from New York.  The apartment is conveniently located in a Shoreline neighborhood within walking distance to bus lines, shops, banks, and grocery stores, so they decided to stay there.  For several years after Nichole moved to Seattle, her dad and brother cared for her without additional help.  Barrington sought out services for Nichole but continued to hear that nothing was available, yet he persisted in his search.           

Through an acquaintance Barrington heard about a Section 8 housing program for people with disabilities in King County. He met KCDDD’s Housing Coordinator who eventually shepherded him through the Section 8 housing application process.  Barrington had contacted the King County Housing Authority several years before but was told that a five-year waiting period existed for a Section 8 housing voucher.  The long wait and the intimidating application process convinced him not to apply at that time.  KCDDD’s Housing Coordinator’s expert knowledge and guidance changed this outcome; Nichole applied for and received her Section 8 voucher in 2002, which included a second bedroom accommodation for a live-in care provider.  Barrington and Nichole’s apartment building accepted Section 8 vouchers, so they remained there with Barrington as her care provider. During this same period a Division of Developmental Disabilities case manager visited Barrington and Nichole and conducted an assessment which resulted in Medicaid Personal Care hours to pay for her personal care needs. As Barrington expressed, “Everything fell into place just like that; it was almost like the perfect storm.”  

Barrington’s goal of living with and caring for Nichole was accomplished with the Section 8 voucher and the Medicaid Personal Care hours in place.  Nichole uses a wheelchair and her personal care needs are substantial.  Barrington provides the majority of Nichole’s personal care needs, including feeding, bathing, and dressing.  MPC hours are used to employ care providers from a local agency who provide for Nichole’s personal care needs when Barrington does not.  He uses the help to cover time when he has personal appointments, needs a break or for help around the house.

Barrington finds it easier to depend on himself for the majority of Nichole’s care. He also relies on his son to help, who lives in his own apartment in Seattle’s University District.  As a family member, his son knows his sister’s personal needs and he cares about her.  Often the care provider agency sends people who aren’t familiar with Nichole, which worries Barrington if he’s not there to supervise them.  Barrington thinks the care situation established for Nichole benefits everyone concerned.  The state saves money because Nichole lives at home, not in an expensive residential facility. And, more importantly, Nichole benefits because her care is personal and provided in her own home. 

Nichole and Barrington spend a lot of time together at home.  Barrington recently bought Nichole an iPod and filled it with her favorite music, including Michael Jackson and opera.  The gift was an immediate favorite. During her first week with her iPod, she went to bed with it on every night. She was delighted when she realized she could listen to her own music throughout the day.  According to Barrington this is the most important thing he has ever purchased for her.  Nichole and Barrington enjoy watching TV news and political commentary together.  Nichole recognizes favorite newscasters like CNN’s Wolfe Blitzer and Anderson Cooper and anticipates Keith Oberman’s show when she hears his theme music.  She also enjoys watching sports, particularly baseball.

Nichole and Barrington have resided at their apartment complex longer than anyone and are well acquainted with their neighbors who are friendly and kind.  Nichole enjoys being outside so they take strolls in their neighborhood several times a week. Nichole likes to wheel up and down the food aisles of local grocery stores or around the neighborhood High School track where she encounters others walking around.  Sometimes they take a public bus to explore downtown Seattle.  However, these outings often depend on Barrington’s health as he continues to feel severe pain from his work accident years before.  When they had a van they went to more places more often, but it was stolen a few years ago.  They now rely on the Hope Link accessible van service to take Nichole to medical appointments.  This service can be unreliable and occasionally they wait 2-3 hours for a van to pick them up.

In the past, Nichole benefited from weekly physical therapy sessions. However, getting her up at 7:00 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. appointment with inconvenient transportation made the 30-minute session not worth the effort.  A community support worker used to take Nichole to coffee shops, the gym, or to visit community gathering places for 3-4 hours a week.  This also ended when they lost their transportation.  They now rely primarily on public transportation, but it’s difficult when it takes 2-3 buses to get somewhere or if their destination is not on the main bus routes.  With all these transportation challenges they still manage to get around and they rarely miss appointments. They just prioritize.

Barrington feels lucky that Nichole is at home with him.  He feels his persistence has paid off and wonders how other people with disabilities cope if they have no one in their life to support them.  He sees how easy it can be to “fall through the cracks” without good advocacy.  He acknowledges that it has been a struggle to get what Nichole needs, and this struggle continues. For the last five years, he has been trying to get a hospital bed for Nichole.  With her current bed Barrington must carefully arrange Nichole’s pillows to make her comfortable, and he wakes up several times during the night to reposition her.  He naps throughout the day to make up for lost sleep. Barrington would rather sleep during the day with her safely next to him then worry about her pillows moving and disrupting her breathing during the night.  In addition, Nichole’s wheel chair needs replacing.  It’s old, needs a new seat, and last summer the wheels came off.  Barrington has approval only to repair the wheelchair instead of purchasing a new one. As Barrington says, he only has so much energy and he’d rather spend it taking care of Nichole rather than asking for things that most likely will not be approved.   

Although improvements can be made, Barrington feels satisfied with his current situation.  With Section 8 and Medicaid Personal Care in place, their life together is stable and everything else would be an additional benefit, even the new bed and wheelchair. He also envisions more abundance in Nichole’s life.  He’d like her to have a female companion do to “girly things” with, like going on weekly outings to clothing stores or having facials and make-up done at cosmetic stores. He wants her to have a female influence that he or his son can’t offer.

Barrington would also like Nichole to leave the apartment everyday to do something she enjoys.  He promised his daughter that they will be together as long as he is able to provide for her.  So his dream for her future housing includes a vision for himself- living together in a fully accessible home, one that is comfortable for Nichole, and with access to the outdoors. 

For now, Nichole, a bright-eyed 30-year-old woman, expresses her happiness living with her dad in their shared apartment.  Her eyes shine, her smile radiates, and she expresses joy through her distinct laughter.  Barrington shows heartfelt love for his daughter through gentle and warm communication, in addition to a life committed to her happiness and comfort.  He gets great satisfaction caring for his daughter.  They provide each other much joy and mutual support and feel grateful navigating life’s struggles and opportunities together, father and daughter. 

Words of Advice:
•    Be persistent. Find someone like KCDDD’s Housing Coordinator who can advocate for you within the system.  Without that, it’s easy to “fall through the cracks” or get “the runaround”.  If you get put off, be persistent.  Don’t give up.  Finding someone to help you navigate through the system and save you valuable time and energy.
•    Obtain knowledge and information.  Educate yourself.  You have to understand how the system and agencies work.  It can be hard to obtain the necessary knowledge but it is the most important thing.
•    Use the internet as a resource. You can find information about many relevant topics, including legal rights and responsible agencies.
•    Keep people informed and stay in touch with them, like your DDD case manager and KCDDD’s Housing Coordinator.  It can be easy to be forgotten if you don’t maintain ongoing contact. 
•    It’s a learning process.  Things don’t just happen overnight. 

Housing:
•    Father and daughter share a two bedroom two-bathroom apartment using Nichole’s Section 8 voucher. The rent is based on approximately 30% of Nichole’s income. The apartment complex is located in the center of the Shoreline community north of Seattle, near bus lines, restaurants, shopping, banks, and walking routes.

Reasonable Accommodation:
•    A reasonable accommodation was granted for an additional bedroom for Nichole’s father to live with Nichole as her care provider. 

Support:
•    Nichole’s father lives in the apartment with her and provides the majority of care, including overnight supervision.
•    Nichole’s brother provides additional support and care as needed.
•    Agency uses MPC hours to hire care providers who come into the home to support Nichole with her personal care needs.

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Homeownership:  Rooted in the Community

Owning a home in a desirable community – close to family, friends, jobs, and schools – is a dream for many Americans.  Home ownership provides stability and creates a sense of pride.  It also provides financial benefits such as building equity and tax deductions.  For many people with developmental disabilities, who often have limited income to pay a home mortgage and insufficient savings for a down payment, the dream of home ownership appears unreachable.  In recent years various funding programs for affordable housing, particularly down payment assistance, has changed this.  A local organization called Parkview Services has a Homeownership Program which has helped 45 households with members who have disabilities purchase homes since 2006.  Among the recent home owners are Brenda and her son Deandre, and Liz and Matt, a married couple.

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Brenda and Deandre’s Story:  Family, Friends, and Neighborhood Connections

Brenda is a school teacher and a single parent of her ten year old son, Deandre.  Deandre was born with multiple disabilities including scoliosis, cognitive delays, cleft palate, one kidney, and hearing loss. He had 25 surgeries by the time he was three and is scheduled for more. Deandre and Brenda lived in an apartment in Renton before purchasing their new house.  As a part-time teacher, Brenda never thought she would be able to purchase a home.  She dreamed of owning a home with a yard where Deandre could play with other neighborhood kids.  Brenda decided to pursue this dream when she noticed Deandre climbing their apartment steps with increasing difficulty.  Another motivator was the fact that their apartment was far from Deandre’s school and there were no other children to play with in their apartment complex. Brenda also noticed that rents were rising, and she wondered if her rent could eventually equal a mortgage payment.  What she needed was financial assistance in order to purchase a home on her teacher’s salary.   

During this time, Brenda received a notice in the mail advertising a home buying seminar.  She attended the seminar and learned about Parkview’s Homeownership program, which she decided to pursue.  She told herself that if home ownership didn’t work, she could always search for a rental home with a yard.  But once she got started on the home ownership program, it all fell into place.  She met with the director of Parkview’s Homeownership program, who guided her through the home buyer education program and calculated how much money would be available for her down payment assistance.  She imagined it would take at least a year to purchase a home, but Marc assured her that it would go quicker with a good credit rating.  Three months after this first meeting, Brenda was pre-approved for a loan, and the next month she began looking for a home.  To her surprise, she qualified for enough down payment assistance to afford a home in her preferred neighborhood.

A home in the right location was Brenda’s main goal.  She wanted stability and continuity for Deandre, by living close to his school and in the same neighborhood as the classmates he has known since kindergarten.  Deandre loves school and playing with his classmates and Brenda wanted to build and nurture these friendships.  It was a challenge for Brenda to locate a home in this neighborhood that she could afford.  It took three months to find the right home, and during that time she put offers on three houses which all fell through for various reasons.  Eventually, she got lucky and heard about a home for sale from Deandre’s teacher.  The home was located in the ideal neighborhood and had a large yard. It was three blocks from Deandre’s school, a two minute walk to her sister’s home, and a short distance to Brenda’s work.  Brenda put an offer on the home, and ten months after she had first attended the home buyer’s seminar she had purchased her first home.  Brenda and Deandre’s home fit her dream location, ideal for building a life close to family, friends, and community. 

Brenda’s sister, a student at Green River Community College, conveniently lives a few blocks away and visits often.  She comes to Brenda and Deandre’s home every morning after Brenda leaves for work to help her nephew get to school, where he is part of a typical classroom with an aid who signs for him.  Although they only live two blocks from Deandre’s school, his aunt drives him.  If he walks to school he gets tired from the uneven sidewalk.  Instead, he saves his energy for school and his fellow students.  After school, Deandre’s aunt takes him home and stays with him until Brenda returns from work. This arrangement works well for now.   Deandre is usually very tired after school and only has a few hours of energy left until he’s “out for the night”. 

After school Deandre uses the computer to play games and type notes. He also loves to write, use the swing in the back yard and play in the dirt.  Sometimes two neighbors from across the street come over to play with Deandre in his backyard.  Brenda hopes that when school starts more opportunities will develop to get together with other children.  Deandre’s finds joy in playing with other kids in his big back yard, and Brenda constantly encourages and promotes his joys and interests. 

Brenda and Deandre’s neighborhood is quiet and stable.  Most of their neighbors have lived there for many years.  Although they still haven’t met many of their neighbors or neighborhood children, they feel they have time.   To Brenda and Deandre, they have found an ideal home in their ideal neighborhood, and they plan to stay there as they build more and more community ties.

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Matt and Liz’s Story:  A Life Together as Proud Home Owners

In recent years Matt and Liz made several major life changes.  In a beautiful ceremony surrounded by family and friends, they were married three years ago.  They also purchased a two-bedroom condominium on a tree lined street in the hills above Renton.  As a young married couple, they now have a foundation for building a life together; a nurturing and supportive relationship and a home of their own. 

Liz has worked at a pharmacy for almost three years.  She and Matt had been living in an apartment using their Section 8 housing voucher to help pay the rent.  Her increasing income raised the possibility that their Section 8 voucher would be terminated.  And soon after they married the rent for their small apartment increased.  The apartment complex was not well maintained and didn’t feel safe.  A few of the tenants had sought food from Matt, and drug dealing was occurring in the complex.  Although the apartment suited Matt when he was single, it didn’t suit the needs of the newly married couple.  They needed to find another place to live, but never imagined it could be their own home.

During this time, Vicki, Matt’s mother, saw a local newspaper article describing Parkview Services Homeownership program.  She was intrigued and immediately contacted Parkview.  The Homeownership director met Matt, Liz and Vicki at their apartment to describe the program and discuss the type of housing they wanted.  This meeting convinced Matt and Liz that they could purchase their own home with the help of Parkview.  Matt, Liz, and Vicki attended Parkview’s homeownership education program and received budget consultation to determine an affordable mortgage payment and the amount of down payment assistance they needed.  They determined that with down payment assistance they could afford a house in the $130,000 to $175,000 range. 

As with Brenda and Deandre, the location was the most critical factor in Matt and Liz’s search for their home.  Since Vicki provides help to Matt and Liz, they wanted them to find a home near her and her husband in the neighborhood where Matt grew up and went to school.  Matt and Liz wanted to live in a safe neighborhood that was within walking distance to bus lines, grocery stores and restaurants.  They decided to look for an affordable condominium near Matt’s parents in Renton.  With the help of a friend who was a real estate agent, they began their search.  

Once they started looking they realized it was difficult to find something nice, affordable and in the desired location. They quickly found that anything selling for $130,000 or less was in bad shape.  They saw a nice condominium but the window looked out on a strip mall covered with graffiti.  Liz and Matt wanted to buy this condominium, but Vicki knew the area had problems with gangs and she felt uncomfortable.  It took six months to find the right place.  When a two bedroom condominium up the street from Matt’s parents came up for sale, they knew this was right.  This condominium was much nicer and safer than their previous apartment.  In addition, it had a fireplace, a nice deck overlooking beautiful grounds, and a kitchen with a separate laundry area.  The condominium complex had well kept grounds, including a shared swimming pool and barbeque. 

Matt and Liz’s monthly mortgage payments exceed their previous rent, but to them it’s worth the additional cost. After purchasing their condo, they stopped receiving their rental subsidy through the Section 8 voucher they had been using. Some housing authorities have created homeownership programs so that a Section 8 voucher can be used to pay for mortgage payments, but this isn’t currently an option in King County. Matt and Liz were paying $800 per month for their apartment even though it needed lots of repairs and maintenance.  Their monthly mortgage is between $800 and $900 which includes property tax and condominium dues.  But the condominium is twice as large as their old apartment, is much nicer and safer, and they are building home equity and personal assets. Most importantly, they have their own place and can make all their own decisions as homeowners.  It was hard work finding the condominium and getting their loan approved through the local bank.  At the time, few people were familiar with the down payment assistance programs so it took longer then expected.  The offer on the condominium ran out before the loan was finalized, causing some frustration.  Parkview Services’ help was invaluable as they were the liaison for everything and met with Matt and Liz often to explain forms, answer questions, and sign documents. 

After moving into their new condominium Matt and Liz needed to learn to live on less money each month.  They have no credit cards and Vicki helps them manage their money and stay within a budget.  They reduced their spending money from $50 to $25 a week.  Vicki takes them to Costco to buy groceries, with a predetermined amount written on the check to prevent overstocking their shopping carts.  Matt received a large back payment from Social Security and was able to furnish their new home, buy a big screen TV, and put the remainder in a savings account.  The additional savings adds comfort in case they need money for mortgage or emergencies.  Since they have less discretionary money to spend, they need to be more careful to stay within their budget.  Although their monthly expenses are higher with a mortgage payment, they have no doubt that homeownership was the right move and the condominium a much better place to live. 

Although moving to the new condominium has meant change, Liz and Matt have settled into a daily routine that works for them.  While Liz works at the pharmacy, Matt stays at home.  Occasionally he provides pet care to earn some extra money, but he needs and wants a regular job.  In the past he worked for local fast food restaurants but he quit without telling anyone.  A few days after Liz gets paid, she and Matt like to eat dinner at a local restaurant.  Friends come over to visit and Matt plays games while Liz reads. 

Because of Liz’s income Matt is no longer eligible for the Medicaid Personal Care that he previously received.  Vicki continues to help them.  She usually sees Matt three times a week, including stopping by their condominium once a week to help out and taking him grocery shopping, to medical and dental appointments, and to weekly counseling sessions at Seattle Mental Health.  They talk on the phone everyday.  Vicki also helps Matt clean the kitchen and bathroom and do his laundry. 

Overall, Matt and Liz take better care of their condominium than their old apartment.  It’s theirs and they feel a sense of pride in decorating it and keeping it clean.  Matt and Liz pay their own bills but Vicki handles their mortgage payments.   Matt enjoys cooking the meals and sees himself “as a gourmet” ever since Vicki taught him some basic recipes.  Matt’s dad helps him fix things around the condominium and Matt’s sister, who is a nurse at Children’s Hospital, also visits and helps when needed. 

After spending her life advocating for Matt, Vicki is ready to step back.  Matt has always been in special education programs, and she has worked to ensure a quality and integrated education through her involvement with the Issaquah School Board and by teaching parents about special education law.  Vicki educated herself about available programs and benefits for people with disabilities and ensured Matt received whatever benefits he qualified for.  Now Vicki and her husband are ready to retire and they want to be confident that Matt and Liz will be financially secure.  She feels ready to reduce her financial involvement with Matt and Liz as the security and stability of homeownership helps them become more self-sufficient.  But some nagging concerns remain.  Liz could lose her job, which would make it very difficult for them to pay their mortgage and other expenses.  Although not ideal, Vicki knows that Matt and Liz’s SSI and Social Security benefits would be reinstated if she became unemployed.   She is ready to let whatever happens happen.

For now, Matt and Liz live in the ideal situation and they wouldn’t change anything.  They have a loving marriage and are very content in their life.  Homeownership gives them something of their own and something they share as a married couple.  While rents keep going up, Matt and Liz now have the stability of a fixed 30 year mortgage and the opportunity to build home equity. If all goes well, they will live the rest of their lives in their condominium and will have it fully paid for when they are 60 years old. 

Words of Advice:
•    Make sure you find a home to buy in a community or neighborhood where you really want to live.  Most people want to stay in their community close to neighborhood schools and networks.  This will help ensure that you will stay there longer and get to know neighbors and the community.  In addition, with some down payment assistance programs, you reimburse the program if the house is sold before the specified date… in most cases three to five years. 
•    It’s important to have savings for a down payment, at least $500.00.
•    Make sure you have 4-6 months of mortgage payments in your savings.
•    There are risks involved in homeownership, like with anything. You may lose your home if you cannot keep up with the mortgage payments. 
•    Develop and work with a team to purchase the house.  The team helps to understand the benefits and drawbacks of home ownership. 
•    Home ownership provides stability.
•    It’s important to work with lenders and real estate agents that know the various aspects of Parkview’s Home Ownership Program.  There are some rules and assistance programs that are different then conventional loan programs.
•    Make sure all the necessary details are identified and taken care of. 

Housing:
•    Parkview Services Home Ownership Program helps individuals with developmental disabilities and their families purchase homes in King and Snohomish Counties. 
•    To qualify for these services the individual also needs to be qualified as low-income and be a first time home buyer.  They also need to complete a home buyer education program and complete a home ownership counseling and budgeting curriculum to determine how monthly expenses will change with a home mortgage.
•    There are a variety of local, state, and federal down payment assistance programs and grants available that are based on the unique needs and qualification of each applicant. 
•    Matt and Liz bought a two bedroom condominium in Renton for $170,000 with down payment assistance of $76,600.  The monthly mortgage payment is $913 including condominium fees and taxes.  The condominium is close to bus lines, stores, and restaurants.  The condominium association takes care of the yard, roof, other maintenance and pays for home insurance. 
•    Brenda bought a single family home in Renton for $274,000 with $197,000 down payment assistance.  The mortgage of $1456 is more than she paid for rent so she needs to budget her monthly expenses more carefully.

Supports:
•    Because of Liz’ income, Matt and Liz do not receive Medicaid Personal Care hours. Matt’s mother Vicki helps them out by taking Matt to appointments, helping him clean the house and do laundry and managing their finances.  Matt and Vicki either see each other or talk everyday.
•    Deandre and Brenda have support from their family.  Deandre goes to elementary school.  His aunt takes him to school every morning and stays with him at home after school until Brenda comes home from work.

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Alexa’s Story:  Three Generations Together

While growing up with her two younger sisters, Alexa listened carefully to her parents’ expectations that they would leave home to attend college or trade school by the time they were twenty-two years old.  While a teenager, she reminded them that she would soon need her own place to live.  When Alexa turned seventeen she was transitioning from high school and, together with her parents Susan and Terry, began looking for work and a place to live.  Susan assumed that finding the right housing arrangement would take time, so they got started early. 

Alexa and her parents began their search by asking people they knew about different housing opportunities.  Susan talked to other parents who had children with developmental disabilities, and she attended parent meetings to get information.  They learned about low income housing in King County and about Section 8 vouchers, including how to qualify and pay for these options.  When a nurse visited Alexa, Susan sought her advice for housing recommendations.  This nurse knew of a wonderful, secure apartment building with a landscaped courtyard on the bus line.  It sounded perfect.  When Alexa and Susan drove by it they liked it immediately and asked for a tour. 

They were particularly impressed with the level of security.  To reach their apartment units, tenants enter a secure parking area that leads to the locked entrance of the multi-story apartment complex.  To add to the security, there are two sets of buzzers, one to get into the courtyard and another to enter the building.  Visitors identify themselves through an intercom at the main entrance before they are allowed into the building.  Alexa particularly enjoyed the idea that friends and family would need to buzz her to get her permission to enter.  The bus transit center was located adjacent to the apartment complex, making it convenient and safe for Alexa to catch the bus.  The only drawback was the apartment’s distance from her parents’ house, a fifteen-minute drive away.  Otherwise, it was exactly what they were looking for.

Once they found the right housing, Susan and Terry searched for the right supports for Alexa to live on her own.  Their first idea was to find a roommate for Alexa and hire a support provider who would live in another apartment unit in the same building.  This support and the ongoing help provided by Susan and Terry would allow Alexa to live on her own.  Alexa liked the idea of hiring a support person to live in the apartment with her as long as they each had their own bedroom and bathroom.       

During this time of searching and decision-making, Susan called KCDDD’s housing coordinator to find out about the application process for Section 8 housing vouchers.  The KCDDD housing coordinator encouraged Susan and Alexa to apply immediately. Soon the reality of Alexa actually leaving home began to impact Susan.  She felt anxious about Alexa moving away from the family and into her own place.  Because of this Susan put off applying for a Section 8 voucher until Alexa turned twenty.  But throughout the next two years, Alexa held firm about her desire to move. 

When the KCDDD housing coordinator contacted Susan to let her know that a voucher had become available if Alexa wanted it, Susan was still not ready and remained unsure whether this would work.  They were encouraged to take the voucher at that time because there were no guarantees when the opportunity for another voucher would present itself. Susan knew that Alexa would be disappointed if they passed up the Section 8 voucher after their long wait.  With renewed conviction and determination, Susan helped Alexa apply for the Section 8 voucher and they resumed the search for the right place to live.

Alexa and Susan started their search where they stopped two years earlier.  They went to the apartment building they had previously visited and applied for a three-bedroom unit.  Since these apartments were seldom vacant they were thrilled when one soon became available.  With desirable housing secured, Susan pursued the right person to live with Alexa who could also assist her as needed.  Through another parent she met at a housing meeting, Susan learned about an agency that employs personal care providers and contacted them.  Sally, the agency director, helped Alexa write a description of the personal qualities she wanted in someone to live with and who would also provide her support. These qualities included someone her own age who shared common interests and who she would enjoy being with. Sally found the right person, but soon after she was offered the job she decided she would rather visit Alexa while assisting her instead of living in the apartment with her.  Somewhat discouraged, Alexa found herself with a three-bedroom apartment and no roommate.    

At this same time Alexa’s grandfather suddenly passed away.  Her grandparents lived in Ellensburg and when her grandfather died her grandmother decided to move near her daughter Susan and her grandchildren.  She had recently experienced several strokes resulting in the need for some physical assistance.  Susan and Terry started to look for condominiums near their home for Alexa’s grandmother.  While searching on Saturday, Terry thought about the possibility of combining the needs of Alexa and her grandmother.  He asked why they were looking for housing for his mother-in-law when Alexa had an available apartment and needed a roommate.  He wondered why they couldn’t live together.  Susan paused and reevaluated her assumption that Alexa should live with someone her own age.  She wondered whether two women so far apart in age, Alexa twenty-two and her grandmother seventy-eight, could enjoy living together. The only way to answer this was to ask Alexa and her mother their opinions.  Alexa had no doubts. She jumped at the chance to live with her grandmother who she didn’t see nearly as often as she liked.  Alexa’s grandmother also responded positively and felt it would be easy to live with Alexa.  She also thought practically that they could share rent and expenses.  In May 2006 they moved into their new three bedroom apartment in Redmond.  

Alexa and her grandmother immediately found mutual comfort and support living together.  As her grandmother expresses, “We’re really comfortable with each other. She helps me and I help her.”  They cook dinner together and provide each other companionship by discussing their day and watching favorite television shows together.  Their daily schedules are compatible.  Alexa works Thursday and Friday nights as a hostess at Applebee’s.  From Wednesday through Saturday she works at Starbucks cleaning the store and busing the tables.  On these days, she arrives home from work at 6:00 p.m. except when she participates in tennis and bowling.  Her grandmother uses this alone time during the day to relax in the apartment or do errands.  On Sunday and Monday, Alexa likes to sleep in, especially when she stays up late surfing the internet.  She also spends time shopping, one of her favorite things to do.  During her days off Alexa eats her meals at different times than her grandmother.  Their differing schedules give them opportunities to pursue their own interests, but at the same time they look out for each other.  This gives Susan peace of mind. 

Alexa feels her living situation couldn’t be better.  Like most roommates, Alexa and her grandmother have to work out minor disagreements.  Sometimes Alexa feels treated more like a granddaughter than an adult, especially when her mother and grandmother give her advice, particularly about what foods to eat and about staying up late at night.  Over time however, they have learned to let Alexa make her own decisions even if they disagree or have concerns.  Except for this minor issue, Alexa is thrilled to live with her grandmother.  As she says, “It’s been really nice.  We’ve gotten closer.”  Her grandmother shares the sentiment -- “It’s worked out really well; we’re really comfortable with each other”.   Susan marvels at how easily her mother and daughter have adjusted to living together.  As she observes, “I think it’s been great.  There were obstacles but everything came together.  It was really like it was meant to be because it all fit together so easily.” 

With the addition of her grandmother, Alexa’s daily life is now full of people who care about her.  Each day her mother calls or stops by the apartment, or visits Alexa at work.  Every weekend Alexa and her grandmother get together with Susan and Terry, usually at their home.  During the week they often watch Alexa’s sisters play soccer or volleyball.  Alexa and her boyfriend Tim spend several evenings a week together relaxing in her apartment or going to restaurants or movies.  Some of Susan’s friends take Alexa to see movies several times a month.  Alexa enjoys her co-workers and her regular customers at Starbucks. 

Alexa and her grandmother get most of the support and care they need from their family.  Susan talks to her mother almost every day and finds out how Alexa is doing.  As Susan says, “It makes me feel good that they are looking out for each other.”  She knows that if her grandmother wasn’t with her Alexa would need to use more Medicaid Personal Care (MPC) hours to pay for someone else to live with her.  Susan receives MPC hours for some of the support she provides Alexa.  In additions, she helps Alexa shop for clothes and other needed items, helps her manage time since she can’t use a clock or calendar, and takes her to medical and dental appointments.  Although Alexa is able to use a debit card to draw money for personal expenses, Susan takes care of her bills and finances.  Terry drives Alexa various places and helps with maintenance and chores around the apartment.  Alexa also has a paid personal care provider who comes in the afternoon and evenings.  

Alexa has many ideas for her future.  Although she loves her current job duties at Starbucks, she’s exploring the possibility of working behind the coffee counter.  She also envisions getting married some day.  She would like to buy her own home someday but thinks that may be unrealistic.  If she does get married, she and her husband could live in the apartment and her grandmother could move to a one-bedroom apartment in the same building. 

In the meantime, the three generations of women feel content to live in close proximity and help each other with life’s transitions.  Alexa’s grandmother’s loss and subsequent move from Ellensburg to Redmond was eased by living with and near her family.  At the time she moved into the apartment she really needed to be with someone, so it was fortuitous that Alexa also needed someone to live with.  Alexa’s grandmother feels comfortable in her new, well-maintained and secure home. She enjoys sitting in her favorite chair looking out her living room window at the pretty landscape with the running waterfall below.  As for Alexa, although she  had initial  reservations about moving away from her family home and admits that she still misses her mother, father and sisters, she now feels successful living on her own. She’s thankful that her grandmother was available to live with her to make the transition easier.  Susan still wishes that Alexa and her mother lived closer to her, but she recognizes that the apartment is an affordable and safe place to live.  She’s grateful that Alexa and her mother are roommates, which to her is the best part of their living situation.

Words of Advice:
•    Ask other parents for ideas.  Communicate through list serves, and attend housing meetings to get information.  Connect with Parent to Parent, they have been a lifesaver.
•    You have to go through some hard work to get the right place, but it’s worth it and it’s important to cherish it once you get it.
•    Be creative about people you might be able to live with. Families have cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, schoolmates who could be great roommates and living companions.
•    Find ways to use resources in creative ways.  Someone who has a Section 8 voucher may be able to help another person who doesn’t have one.  Some people are looking to live in group homes, but many people benefit from living together in apartments or duplexes.
•    Parents worry about their children with disabilities and often want them to live with them or in a group home.  Let them grow up and move out.  Don’t force a group home on them.  Ask them what they want to do.

Housing:
•    Alexa and her grandmother live together in an innovative affordable housing development that combined a variety of public and private investment in Redmond.  Open in early 2002, this was the first transit-oriented development of its kind in the country.  This 308 unit building integrates affordable housing with a childcare facility and a bus transit center.
•    Alexa and her grandmother share monthly household expenses including electricity, phone, internet service, and insurance.  They also share grocery expenses. The apartment is spacious, allowing for both Alexa and her grandmother to have their own bedrooms and bathrooms which are separated by the open living space of the kitchen, dining area, hallway, and living room.  They each have a large walk-in closet.  There is also a small washer and dryer in their apartment unit.
•    The building includes on-site managers who are available to answer questions and because the complex is owned by the Housing Authority, the on-site staff can assist with connections to social services.  The apartment building includes a courtyard, day care center, a community room, and fitness equipment.  
•    The apartment building is within walking distance of numerous stores, restaurants, schools, medical facilities, parks, and a community center.

Reasonable Accommodations:
•    Alexa has a Section 8 voucher and was granted a reasonable accommodation for an additional bedroom for a live-in care provider (Alexa’s Grandmother).  She also requested to live in ‘shared housing’ in order to allow her grandmother a second bedroom for a sewing room and extra space. Alexa’s grandmother pays the additional rent not covered by Alexa’s voucher as part of her shared housing accommodation. 

Support:
•    Alexa and her grandmother support each other to live in their apartment.  They cook meals together, provide companionship for one another, check in with each other during the day, and are available at night in case of emergencies.
•    Alexa’s mother and father, Susan and Terry, come by the apartment or call almost every day.  Susan receives payment through MPC hours that Alexa is assessed for, for some of the support she provides Alexa.
•    Alexa receives additional support from a paid MPC provider in the afternoons and evenings.  

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Matt, Nate, and Patrick’s Story:  Cohousing – Living as a Community

Matt, Nate, and Patrick share a home in a unique neighborhood where residents are committed to living as a community.  They live at Jackson Place Cohousing which was designed to encourage both social contact and individual space.  A cohousing community is planned, owned and managed by the residents; groups of people who want more social interactions with their neighbors. Like other cohousing communities developed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia, cohousing residents live in private homes, but have access to extensive shared spaces and facilities which makes it easy to interact with neighbors and build mutually beneficial relationships over time.

Matt, Nate, and Patrick’s three bedroom home faces a common courtyard with the other 27 attached units. Sitting outside their front door, they greet neighbors walking by.  In the evening, they often share supper with other residents in the common dining room and talk over the activities of their day.  Opportunities to bump into neighbors on a regular basis help Matt, Nate, and Patrick’s achieve their goal of getting to know people in their community. 

Cohousing involves a group of families and individuals who collaborate in the design and operation of their own neighborhood.  Typically, cohousing groups hire an architect and builder who agree to accommodate individual needs of households while designing a place that reflects the desires of the entire group.  In 1999, when the City of Seattle offered unused land for housing development, a group of interested individuals who desired to live in a cohousing community worked with an architectural firm to develop Jackson Place Cohousing.  With a central location at the intersection of Seattle’s International District and Central Area, they planned a unique concept and design in this dense urban neighborhood.  Row houses face a shared landscaped walkway.  A parking garage is located underneath the houses.  A shared common building includes a large kitchen, dining and meeting area, guest room, and laundry facilities.  The design creates a place where people live in small units and share common spaces to optimize social interactions.  The design also allows for and encourages many types of households to be part of the community; single people, single-parent families, two-parent families, unrelated individuals, and seniors whose children have left home.  As opposed to typical housing developments, cohousing offers natural social interaction among people of different ages, incomes, abilities, and cultures.

Kathy and Bill Sellers, legendary King County disability activists, were two founding members of Jackson Place Cohousing.  Along with other founding members, they developed a vision for living in a diverse community. Bill and Kathy encouraged people with disabilities to join this diverse mix of cohousing members.  When planning began, Kathy contacted Parkview Services, a nonprofit organization that develops housing for people with disabilities.  The executive director at the time attended cohousing meetings and discovered the unique opportunity to develop housing units from the ground up with a design that promoted social interaction.  He understood how this would benefit individuals with disabilities who are often socially isolated from their neighbors and community.

Initially, Jackson Place Cohousing members were uncertain about Parkview, a nonprofit organization, purchasing a unit.  Typically, cohousing developments are planned and owned by individuals and families, not community organizations.  Questions were raised about how a nonprofit organization could be a participating member.  Jackson Place Cohousing, located in a historically ethnic and racially diverse neighborhood, was unable to attract a membership that reflected this diversity.  Members understood that including a housing unit for people with disabilities could help achieve their vision of a diverse community.  Following the extension of cohousing membership to Parkview Services, Parkview wrote and received grants from the City of Seattle, the Washington State Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development, and the Federal Home Loan Bank to purchase a three bedroom home at Jackson Place for approximately $266,000.

The next step was to find people who wanted to live in the Jackson Place Cohousing community.  Parkview approached Matt’s father, who was on Parkview’s Board, to find out if Matt would be interested.  If interested, he would need to find two other families with sons who wanted to live together. Parkview does not provide support for individuals to live in their home, so the parents also had to agree on finding and coordinating ongoing supports for their sons.  Matt’s parents immediately thought of Nate as a possible housemate, since they had been friends since childhood.  Matt and Nate’s families had known each other from various activities and organizations, and their mothers played tennis together.  Nate and Matt’s parents spread the word to other families about this shared housing opportunity and interviewed several people.  For one reason or another, the match was never right.  One day, Patrick’s mother Virjean called and said they were interested.  It was an instant match.  From the start, all three families worked together to create a household that fit their sons’ needs.

Nate, Patrick, and Matt, all in their twenties, moved into the three story cohousing home seven years ago along with many of the original residents. Opportunities have been abundant for the housemates to meet and get to know neighbors. They step out their front door to a small garden that flows into a common walkway with numerous sitting areas.  They join their neighbors for dinner every night in the common dining room where a group of residents prepare a meal for the community.  Residents who work or are busy during the day can join their neighbors for a home cooked meal and conversation.   A sign up schedule allows people to choose their day to cook a meal or help clean up.  Like their neighbors, Nate, Patrick, and Matt can purchase a good meal for $4.00. They also help cook meals for the community and they regularly volunteer to clean up after dinner.  This daily opportunity to get together with neighbors creates social interaction and, in some cases, friendships.  Nate, Patrick, and Matt join in other community activities including celebrations, work parties, and barbeques.  Often they are asked to offer assistance to their neighbors, such as moving someone’s furniture or doing yard work.

After living together for seven years, and with the help of their families and personal care providers, Nate, Patrick, and Matt have developed both individual and shared living routines. For the first two years, the families were frequently at the house helping their sons adjust and pitching in where necessary.  As Virjean honestly reflects, “It hasn’t always been easy.  It took Patrick a long time to settle into his new home.  It would have been easier to keep him at home with us”.  But seven years later she can see the individual growth from those first few years and feels Patrick has outgrown living with his parents.  Everything is easier and more relaxed with their established routines.

All three men are employed.  Nate takes the bus to Swedish Hospital everyday where, for the last twelve years, he has delivered mail to various departments.  He is a valued member of the workforce and makes a good income.  Matt used to work at the Sheraton Hotel, but was laid off after 9/11.  It’s been difficult finding a community job ever since. Matt now works at Northwest Center, a specialized job site for people with developmental disabilities. Trina, a care provider, drives Matt to work every day and an Access van brings him home. Taking the Access van makes his family feel confident Matt will get to work on time.  Patrick takes the bus to his job in Fremont two days a week.  For the last six years, he has packaged materials and done recycling for Minerallac, a company that produces metal fasteners for commercial projects. During the rest of the week, Patrick has a steady routine. He spends one day at home watching TV, drawing, writing in his notebook, and doing puzzles.  He also takes walks in the neighborhood, and often goes to the local Goodwill store.  He spends Wednesdays with his mother, usually going out to lunch and for walks.

All three young men receive Medicaid Personal Care hours that are used to hire providers for personal care needs.  Throughout the years, it’s been a struggle to find qualified care providers who stay for long periods of time.  Part time work and inadequate pay can make it difficult to retain care providers. Getting to know the styles and personalities of care providers who come and go has been both an opportunity and a challenge.  The men and their parents have met many good providers but they have also dealt with some that were problematic. Recently, they had to let someone go.  The families all agreed with the decision but it was still uncomfortable.  Currently they are pleased with the three motivated and caring providers who support the men throughout the week.

The three care providers are employed by two different agencies. The agencies send qualified people to be interviewed by the families, who then decide if the match is right for the household.  Alex was hired a year ago and instantly knew he wanted to work with the three men.  Alex has grown to appreciate their unique personalities.  He typically works weekday evenings, helping the young men with the specific personal care needs that they have been assessed for individually.  Matt in particular needs support with personal hygiene tasks such as showering and shaving.  Alex enjoys their company and often joins the men and their neighbors for dinner at the common house.  After dinner the men typically go their own way to watch TV, listen to music, or to participate in sports and other activities.  Like many others after a day of work, the men appreciate their time alone.  They also often go to the park, to stores, or listen to music, and occasionally they watch movies together.

Trina supports each person  during weekday mornings to help them  with specific things they need  to get ready for the day.  On Saturdays the men like to spend time together going to movies or community events like festivals, fairs, or concerts.  Leone, the third care provider, will provide support for their personal care needs on Saturday and Sundays when the men are not visiting their families for the day. 

The families communicate regularly with the care providers.  For the care providers, communication can sometimes be confusing when parents and agency staff all provide advice and direction. To help facilitate communication and keep everyone informed, daily activities and notes about special circumstances are entered in a log.  Typically the care providers respect the opinions and advise of the parents since they understand the needs and desires of their sons better than anyone. In turn, the parents listen to the care providers and show their appreciation by giving holiday bonuses, money for gas, and other methods of compensation.  Communication is considered the key to working well together. After seven years, the families are more accustomed to the inevitable issues that arise and ways to work through them.

The families are very involved with their sons and provide on-going support to them and to the overall household..  Linda and Virjean regularly stock the kitchen with food staples.  On Wednesday and Sunday when Virjean visits Patrick, she checks to make sure Patrick’s bedroom and bathroom are clean and that he is taking care of his personal needs. Patrick’s father manages the monthly household finances.  Nate’s father involves the men in sports activities on the weekends, including skiing trips in the winter.  Family members help out if care providers miss work.  Matt’s brother has been a care provider and Linda, who lives only 25 minutes away, drops by or covers hours when needed.

The parents work hard to make this housing situation work for their sons. They pitch in and support each other when needed.  They meet every three or four months to discuss anticipated problems and solutions.  Throughout the years they have argued, apologized, and generally found ways to resolve their concerns and differences.  They have become good friends, enjoying shared values and senses of humor.

The men’s cohousing community makes this housing arrangement particularly unique.  The community provides an extra layer of support that makes it easy for Nate, Patrick, and Matt to live on their own.  These community qualities give their families a sense of comfort that their sons are safe, especially since they have no one with them overnight and are often home alone.   Matt’s mother Linda would prefer to have someone available throughout the night, but she recognizes that the household’s financial arrangement would not work if one bedroom was occupied by a care provider who didn’t pay rent.  For now, she’s comfortable and thankful that the cohousing experience promotes safety, community connections, and mutual support. Linda is confident someone in the community would provide help in an emergency.

Virjean is pleased that Patrick has opportunities to interact with so many people, which would not happen if he lived in a typical apartment building.  She believes Patrick has been forced to socialize and become more aware of the world around him.  The adjustments Patrick has been required to make in order to associate with so many different people has helped him change some of his more difficult behaviors.  Virjean acknowledges Patrick was protected and “coddled” at home.  Over the past seven years she has observed some significant and positive change.  Patrick initiates situations, communicates what he wants to do, and even reads the paper to find out what is going on in his community.  Linda praises Matt’s cohousing living arrangement.  As she says, “Matt is not anonymous.  He is known, cared for, and part of the community, like one big family”.  Matt, Patrick, and Nate have personally thrived in this setting and established a balanced life -- living on their own and living as a community at Jackson Place Cohousing.

Words of Advice:
•    Try not to do it alone.  Find other families to join you.  It’s great to have a support group, people you can call if something comes up, even if there are occasional difficulties.
•    What helps this household run smoothly are like minded parents who share priorities and senses of humor to help make this arrangement work.
•    Because there is so much to do and to advocate for it is important to avoid internal conflict among the men and their families.
•    Think about what you are creating for the future.  Think about what you want when parents are no longer there for support.  We need to think about how to build our communities to support each other.  Linking with other families means there are more people who understand our children if something happens to their parents.

Housing:
•    Three men share a well maintained three bedroom three bathroom attached house in the Jackson Park Cohousing community in central Seattle. Jackson Park Cohousing is located near bus lines, restaurants and stores.
•    The home’s first floor includes a kitchen and a common living space.  Patrick lives in his own bedroom with bath on the lower floor. Matt and Nate have their own bedrooms with a shared bathroom on the second floor. 
•    Parkview Services owns the condominium unit at Jackson Place Cohousing.  Each of the men have separate rental leases with Parkview.  
•    Rents vary from person to person.  Patrick and Matt each qualify for Section 8 housing vouchers that they use to subsidize their rent.  Nate pays Parkview 30% of his income for rent,.
•    The rent the men pay in this setting is manageable. Patrick and Matt need to budget more carefully to cover monthly expenses.
•    Rental rates are reviewed every year, by Seattle Housing Authority and Parkview Services.
•    Parkview pays all of the associated fees for the cohousing unit.  This includes contributing to the cohousing funding pool for any maintenance or upgrades, insurance, and membership dues.  As a 501(c)(3) non profit, Parkview pays reduced property taxes. Parkview sets aside funds from the rental income every year for property maintenance.  The rental income covers these fees.
•    There aren’t any reasonable accommodations required for the young men to use their vouchers in this housing arrangement.

Support:
•    The men hire MPC providers to receive support for their personal care needs.  Two care providers are each employed by separate agencies and the third individual provider is paid by the parents using MPC hours.
•    Care providers are available at various times throughout the weekdays and weekends when personal support is needed for each person.  They are home alone during the night and other times during the day.
•    The families provide ongoing support including overseeing the care providers, providing additional individual support to their sons, and filling in for care providers as needed.
•    The young men go to their family homes every Sunday.
•    The cohousing community provides informal support, including evening meals and safety.  The community feels safe knowing that neighbors watch out for each other and provide help in emergencies. Cohousing provides social interactions and opportunities to get involved in the community.

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Tim’s Story:  It Takes a Community to Build a Home

Through family ties, business associations, and community involvement, Tim’s family has made deep connections to the Issaquah community.  Throughout years of raising four children and now in retirement, Tim’s parents give to their community and work to make it a better place for all who live there.  Their community involvement and networks contributed to the development and stability of a non-profit housing organization that benefits Issaquah residents with developmental disabilities. 

When Tim graduated from high school over twenty years ago, he didn’t have a job or anything to do.  Through a local school district organizing grant, Tim’s parents and others started a community organization called Life Enrichment Options (LEO) to educate parents and to advocate for employment, recreation, and educational opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities living in Issaquah.   After several years of advocacy that resulted in some successful programs, housing emerged as an important issue for this organization.  With jobs and community opportunities in place, individuals with disabilities started asking their parents about finding their own homes, especially as they watched their own siblings move away.  But Tim was satisfied living with his parents, Rose and Leo.  And his siblings, especially his sister, encouraged him to stay in the family home where he lived all his life.  Tim’s sister also hoped he would live in Oregon with her some day.

Although Tim did not want to move, Rose and Leo, along with other parents, continued to organize housing opportunities in their community.  They talked to everyone they knew and explored different housing models for people with limited income who needed substantial support for their health and welfare on a daily basis.    Through this exploration they found the Adult Family Home (AFH) model fit most closely the needs of their sons and daughters.  Adult Family Homes have a family orientation where help is provided naturally and as needed from someone who lives in the home, as opposed to staff who change shift every eight hours and who often leave and are replaced by new employees.  In addition, regulations and oversight visits from state agencies assure the parents that their loved ones are well cared for even when parents were not available to provide extra assistance. 

Rose and the other parents decided to create a different housing model based on adult family home characteristics.  Instead of the house being owned and occupied by the AFH provider, their home would be developed and supported by the community networks and relationships they had cultivated over time.  Their non-profit organization, LEO, would locate and purchase the homes but would not be responsible for the daily support of the individuals who lived there.   LEO would hire a qualified AFH provider to live in the home rent free.  Since LEO would own and manage the home, the care provider would not experience the burdens of mortgage payments or home maintenance.  Instead the provider would manage the household as his or her own business, including the implementation of AFH practices and quality oversight of the care provided to the individuals living in the home.  The housing organization would carefully choose the care providers, and in turn the care providers would choose compatible people to live in the home.  Since parents served as members of the organization’s board, boundaries were clear between the responsibilities of the housing organization and the AFH provider.

For ten years Rose and her husband Leo provided steadfast stewardship for LEO, even though their son Tim expressed no desire to move out of his family home and into his own residence.  During this time LEO raised enough funds to build two homes.  For ten years, Tim watched the homes become available and watched some of his friends move in.  Gradually Tim became comfortable with the idea of moving out, and when the second home, the Ann Dennis House, was built he decided to give it a try.  His decision was made easier when a longtime friend moved there.  His home was modeled after the first one which was named Rose House after his mother who had worked tirelessly to help develop it.  

It took over two years of planning before any progress was made toward building the Rose House.  There were many disappointments along the way, including a partnership with several organizations that collapsed before the project began.  Although discouraged, LEO board members convinced themselves to keep going by recruiting new members and involving the entire community.  In 2000 they organized a housing forum in Issaquah and invited the mayor, city council members, housing developers, business leaders, transportation officials, community members, and other parents.  This forum ignited community interest.  Afterwards a developer from Polygon NW called and said his business would like to build a house for the organization.  The board jumped into action and raised funds to buy a vacant lot a few blocks from downtown Issaquah.   LEO was involved in the design of the house throughout the process. Polygon NW showcased this effort on their website and when other contractors saw it, more labor and materials were donated. The City of Issaquah forgave LEO the $25,000 mitigation fees to build the home and in exchange LEO agreed to keep the home for people with developmental disabilities for 50 years.  A Boeing Employees grant provided funds to purchase home furnishings.  In 2003, 250 community members came to the opening of Rose House, including the mayor who lives across the street.  

Amy was one of the new board members recruited during this time.  She had just graduated from college and brought new energy and vitality to the board. When Rose told her that the organization’s next task was to find a licensed care provider to live in the home with five other people, she expressed interest herself.  Although excited by the possibility of Amy taking on this role, Rose didn’t encourage her.  She knew this decision meant Amy would need to assume a great deal of responsibility, including starting her own business and providing twenty-four hour support to the other people living in the home.  However, Amy knew the job suited her energetic personality and she was ready for the challenge.  She talked to her husband and they decided to commit to this new lifestyle. 

While the Rose House was being built Amy completed 320 hours of required training to become an AFH licensed provider.  Her husband took enough training to provide emergency backup support when needed.  Amy met people with development disabilities who wanted to live at Rose House.  AFH regulations allowed one person to live in the home while Amy completed her licensing requirements.  Crystal moved into the home with Amy and her husband while the home received its final touch ups and inspection.  With license in hand and a new home ready for occupants, Amy and Crystal interviewed and subsequently invited four more people to live at Rose House. Each new housemate helped identify the next one.  Amy organized gatherings and outings so everyone could get to know each other before a decision for a new roommate was made.  Each new person moved into one of the five large bedrooms of this new and modern home. Each room, almost as large as a studio apartment (minus a kitchen), has enough space to include seating areas and a small office or craft space depending on the person’s desire.  Each roommate has cultivated a private space and also utilizes a large common living area to interact with housemates as he or she chooses. 

Amy and her husband recently had a baby.  The family occupies a small apartment unit on the second floor of the house.  Although they need to be available 24 hours a day, Amy has breaks during the day while her housemates go to work or out into the community.  This gives her time to meet friends, go shopping, or just be at home.  Although it’s an unwritten rule, all of the roommates go to their parents’ homes on the same scheduled weekend each month and on holidays.  Amy pays another licensed provider to take her place when she and her family want additional time off or a vacation.  Sometimes her mother or aunt helps out.  Amy enjoys the flexibility her job offers.  Even with the 24 hour responsibility, she feels she’s well compensated for her time.  After six years, she and her husband have created an enjoyable lifestyle that seamlessly combines family and work. They are similar in age to their other housemates so it’s easy to find common interests such as hiking, shopping, or going to restaurants.

As they were catching their breath from building the Rose House, an opportunity became available for LEO to purchase a four bedroom home in the Highland Plateau above Issaquah.  The organization raised money and submitted a proposal to the county to purchase the home at a reduced rate.  This also fulfilled the county’s pledge to develop affordable housing for people with developmental disabilities.  With a King County housing grant of $55,000, the home was remodeled to make it accessible and to add another bedroom.  Once again, Polygon Northwest and their sub-contractors donated time and materials to remodel the home, which was called the Ann Dennis Home.  Because Rose continues to cultivate her numerous community contacts and relationships, many people and organizations in the community want to get involved and help. 

Tim decided to move into the Ann Dennis Home once it was complete. He now has his own room and a routine of his own.  During the time the Rose House was being built, Tim would tell his mother, “I’m not living there, not me.”  Rose never pushed it.  Although he never planned to live with his friend Paul, once Tim moved into the new house he felt more comfortable because Paul lived there.  Tim also spent time at the Rose House to get to know the people who lived there and find out if it was something he wanted to do.  Tim’s siblings also became more comfortable with this housing arrangement and assured Tim they would stay in close touch if he moved from his family home.  Tim continues to volunteer everyday at the Issaquah Community Center where he knows many people.  Last year he received the City of Issaquah Volunteer of the Year Award.  Although he continues to enjoy volunteering, Tim would like to find paid employment as well. 

Rose has learned that this kind of housing model isn’t for everyone.  It all depends on the individual.  It took Tim several years before he was ready to live in a group situation and now it seems to work for him.  Rose thought she knew someone who would like to live in one of the homes, but instead he chose to live by himself in his own apartment, which he now loves.  Several other people Rose knows didn’t want to live with a group of people.  Others want to live with friends who they can share conversation and interests.  For now, Rose is content that Tim has the security and supervision provided by this housing arrangement.  He may live there for a long time; at least until his dream of living in his own home in Oregon next to his sister becomes real.  In the meantime, Rose and LEO will continue to engage the Issaquah community until all the residents with disabilities have the opportunity to live in their own home.   

Words of Advice:
•    Get advice from other people who have created something like this in their own community.  Talk to everyone you know.
•    Respect your son or daughter’s life choices and goals and support them in these choices.
•    Make sure that your son or daughter wants to live with other people in a group living situation before he or she decides on this type of housing.
•    People with disabilities all have different needs and desires.  Some people are very happy living in their own apartments with little support, while others would feel stifled there.  Some may be happy living in an apartment doing very little, but others may not be satisfied with that.  It all depends on the individual.
•    Look for all available options.  If you can create an option that also builds community – that’s great, go for it.
•    Get connected with other families while your children are still in school.  There are natural ways to stay connected and initiate planning with other parents with school-aged children.  It’s hard to get everyone together but it’s very important. 
•    Get the community involved.  The key to success was Polygon’s encouragement and the community partnerships that were developed along the way.  Build a strong board with well connected community members.
•    Get involved in your community.  It takes many voices to advocate for affordable housing for people with developmental disabilities.  Section 8 and accessible housing units need to be set aside for people with disabilities when new developments are being planned and built. 
•    You have to work at creating community partnerships, getting involved in your community and building options with others for affordable housing.  Go to housing conferences and city council meetings; become involved and know what’s going on.  Stay informed, find out what opportunities are available and then take action. 
•    There are many resources in the general community that can be leveraged to create something that benefits everyone.
•    Be aware that Adult Family Homes do not qualify for Section 8.
•    It is very important for adult family home providers to carefully explain this type of living arrangement to interested individuals and their families so they fully understand this choice. 

Housing:
•    Life Enrichment Options (LEO) owns and manages two large Adult Family Homes in the Issaquah area.  The homes are owned outright by LEO.  With no debt, the organization is able to adjust rents to accommodate the limited incomes of residents.
•    Five people live in a five bedroom licensed Adult Family Home a few blocks from the center of Issaquah, near bus lines, the community center, the library, stores, restaurants, and parks.  Another five people live in a five bedroom home in the Issaquah highlands.
•    The first home was built in 2003 and was beautifully designed with an open living plan and five large bedrooms and bathrooms.  The upstairs includes a separate living space with kitchen, dining room, and large bedroom suite for the provider and her family.
•    Each person pays a different amount toward the day-to-day operation of the home depending on their income, as determined by DDD.  This rate can vary from month to month.  The funds collected from the five individuals cover the cost of home maintenance and insurance.  As a nonprofit LEO has tax exempt status.
•    The care provider lives in the home rent free.  The residents and care provider each pay approximately $210/month to LEO to cover utilities, long term maintenance, and insurance. The rest of the residents’ monthly income goes primarily toward the cost of food, household supplies, and personal expenses.
•    LEO is a non-profit housing organization with an active board.  Some board members have children with disabilities who live in the homes. The board works hard to maintain a clear boundary between LEO’s property management responsibility and the Adult Family Home provider’s responsibility for providing daily support to the people who live in the home.

Support:
•    A licensed Adult Family Home provider provides 24 hour support to all five people.  Payment for services is managed through a Medicaid Personal Care contract with DSHS for each person. The amount of the contracts varies depending on the needs of each person.  The base rate is approximately $1,000/month/person.
•    The AFH provider signs a yearly lease with LEO for the home.  
•    Parents help out as needed.  They take their son or daughter to medical and dental appointments and for monthly home visits.
•    Each resident has a plan that is developed with the person, his/her family members, the AFH care provider and the DDD case manager outlining the person’s goals and support needs.  This plan is then carried out by the AFH provider.  The plan is reviewed by the DDD case manager every year.
•    Oversight of the home and monitoring of individual support occurs through home visits by DDD case managers and during yearly assessments, nursing oversight visits, and numerous family visits. 

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Jason’s Story: Everything Falls into Place

Two years ago Jason moved to Seattle’s vibrant and trendy Wallingford neighborhood.  He followed his mother, Penny, who moved to Seattle from New York two years before he did.  Penny attended graduate school in New York while Jason lived in a nearby group home.  After several years away from family and friends, they decided to return to Seattle where Jason was born and raised.    

Penny arrived in Seattle before Jason so that she could settle into her new life and find Jason housing and needed supports before he made the journey from New York.  In New York, Jason was enrolled in a Medicaid waiver program that paid for his group home and transportation expenses.  Because waiver programs do not transfer between states, moving to Seattle meant Jason would no longer receive the services he had in New York.  As long as Jason remained in New York, Penny would have difficulty qualifying him for waiver services in Seattle.  To make things more challenging, Jason’s arrival in Seattle did not guarantee him any services at all.  Penny managed to work through this dilemma.  She located a caring Division of Developmental Disabilities caseworker who qualified Jason for Medicaid Personal Care.  She also contacted KCDDD’s housing coordinator and talked to her every few months about a place for Jason to live. 

Everything fell into place when Jason finally moved back to Seattle.  Penny and Jason looked at a variety of accessible apartment units and considered applying for a Section 8 housing voucher. One day KCDDD’s housing coordinator called and told Penny that the recently built Stoneway Apartments, located in the heart of Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood, was accepting rental applications.  The Stoneway Apartments were developed and managed by Housing Resources Group, a nonprofit affordable housing organization.  The apartment complex was built using a variety of government and local funding partnerships to secure housing for people with mixed incomes.  King County’s Housing Innovations for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (HIPDD) provided additional funds to set aside five apartments in this 70 unit building for individuals with developmental disabilities.  This funding assured affordable rents in addition to units with Universal Design features that are accessible for people with physical disabilities.

Within a week, Jason submitted his rental application and was one of two applicants whose application was accepted.  Jason has cerebral palsy and uses a wheel chair to navigate his environment. The Stoneway Apartments’ fully accessible two-bedroom unit was a perfect housing match for Jason.  His apartment included an open living space, a front door entry onto the sidewalk close to bus stops and stores, and accessible bathrooms and kitchen.  The other bedroom was available for a roommate to live with Jason. When this ideal housing situation fell into place, Penny and Jason felt lucky to be in the right place at the right time. 

It only got better when John moved into the apartment as Jason’s roommate and overnight/emergency provider. John was intrigued by Penny’s ad in craigslist describing an opportunity to share an apartment with a young man with disabilities.  He contacted Penny to learn more.  As Penny explained it, in exchange for a rent free apartment, John would cook dinner, spend evenings with Jason, and respond to any emergencies during the night.   Jason and John would share the home, and like most roommates they would provide each other with mutual support and camaraderie. 

From many applicants Penny selected two people for Jason to interview.  Penny wanted a roommate for Jason who was stable and reliable.  She preferred someone with good communication skills who appreciated her concern for Jason’s safety and quality of life.  John and Jason clicked immediately.  Jason liked their compatible schedules and personalities.  John intuitively sensed that this would be a good living situation.  He appreciated Jason and Penny’s clarity and directness about what they wanted, and he particularly admired Jason’s honesty.    The rent free apartment also allowed him to pay off student loans more quickly.  This arrangement benefited everyone.

John moved into the apartment two months after Jason.  Prior to that Penny was living there.  Since John and Jason have lived together, they have developed mutually beneficial lifestyles and schedules.  They both work every day.  John works as a social worker in downtown Seattle helping homeless people find employment.  After a year of job searching with the help of an employment agency, Jason recently landed a job scanning documents and entering data for a variety of companies.   John comes home from work before Jason and begins preparing their dinner.  John enjoys cooking and Jason appreciates their meals together.  After dinner, they usually pursue their own interests.  Jason likes predictable routines and time alone.  In the evening he watches his favorite television shows, especially The Price is Right.  He also enjoys using his computer.  Sometimes John and Jason go out to dinner or to Mariners’ games together.  Most of John’s family lives close by and Jason enjoys getting together with them as often as he can.  Recently John and his family celebrated Jason’s 21st birthday at a local restaurant.  Jason had his first glass of wine to celebrate both his birthday and his new job.  Penny has also grown fond of John’s family.  She has developed a friendship with John’s mother, who recently cooked Penny, Jason and John a meal they all shared together.

Jason and John have become compatible roommates and have grown to appreciate each other’s friendship and personalities.  Waiting for the right roommate was well worth the effort.  As John says, “I have a new friend and I feel like I’m part of an extended family.  I think this works out well.”  Jason likes John’s optimism and enthusiasm about life.  John’s stable, low key personality supports Jason’s need to live in a calm and predictable environment. 

In addition to cerebral palsy, Jason lives with Asberger’s syndrome and needs someone to be with him at all times.  In addition to preparing dinner and helping Jason get ready for bed, John spends five scheduled nights a week in their apartment in case of emergencies.  On the nights that John is not home, Penny or a respite paid care provider stays with Jason.  Penny, Jason, and John remain flexible, and they communicate regularly to ensure everyone gets what they need to make this living arrangement work. John likes to spend weekends away with his girlfriend or his other friends. He recently spent ten days on a river rafting vacation and after that went skiing in Sun Valley.  Penny found someone to stay with Jason so John could leave on these trips.  The three accommodate each other within clear boundaries and expectations. Occasionally when John wants to go somewhere overnight, Penny has asked him to help pay for someone to stay in the apartment with Jason.  Oftentimes when John is gone, Penny will stay with Jason or they will ask his Medicaid Personal Care (MPC) provider to spend the night.  In any case, no one who spends the night sleeps in John’s bedroom or uses his bathroom.  That is because the apartment is viewed as John’s home and everyone respects his private space. 

In the morning and on weekends a paid personal care worker provides support to Jason. Penny finds qualified people by submitting the following job opportunity on craigslist: “Bright young gentleman with disabilities needs assistance with activities of daily living 2-3 hours a day at $11 an hour.”  She often receives responses from bright and committed students looking for a part time job and a flexible work schedule.  Currently a college student interested in speech therapy provides Jason’s personal care services.  Although Penny recruits and hires all Jason’s care providers, the MPC hours are submitted to an agency that pays the providers. In the morning someone helps Jason get ready for work.  He needs help to dress, shower, shave, eat, and brush his teeth.  Jason’s leg braces must be put on everyday, which takes significant time and assistance. Jason’s personal care provider keeps the household running smoothly by cleaning the apartment, doing the laundry and ironing.  As Penny explains, Jason needs substantial help in many areas, including someone to help him cross the street, make a grocery list, shop, put groceries in the cart, get the groceries home and put the food away in his apartment.  Although Jason likes to participate, he is physically unable to perform these tasks.  Jason can be left alone at certain times.  He can go to the restroom independently and is able to easily access food in the kitchen.

Penny receives MPC funding for some of the help she provides Jason. She lives close by and can easily stop by to check on him.  Currently Jason is not interested in managing his finances, so Penny keeps track of his money and pays all of his bills.  Jason tends to be introverted and if not encouraged, prefers to stay in his apartment rather than go out.  Penny encourages him to explore the area and get out in his community.  Penny and Jason often go to community events, movies, and restaurants in the area. Melanie, a community guide from Total Living Concept, also spends time exploring Jason’s community with him.

Jason’s life in Seattle has a firm foundation – a fully accessible apartment in a great location, a quiet environment in which to live, a compatible and responsible roommate, adequate MPC hours to meet his support needs, a good job, and family and friends who care about him.  With all of this in place and with his insightful and engaging personality, Jason future looks positive and rewarding. Penny even envisions Jason attending college. In the meantime, Jason feels like his new life has just started.  He sums it up best by saying “My life right now is as good as it can be.  I couldn’t be happier”. 

Words of Advice:  
•    Flexibility and accommodation make this situation work, given the number of people that get involved in supporting Jason’s needs
•    Learn to let go. As a parent, you don’t need to assume all the responsibility; let your son or daughter make their own mistakes so they can learn from them.  This is part of growing up.
•    For an arrangement like this to be successful, someone needs to be responsible for overseeing the management of the house. This can involve a great deal of work.  The responsible person could be either a parent or someone who is paid to provide this oversight.
•    Be persistent.  Ask about everything you can think of about housing and support, and keep good notes.  Follow through with useful suggestions. 
•    Try not to get discouraged.  Sometimes you just have to keep working at it before you are successful.  It can take a long time to make something positive happen. 
•    Make sure you get good people to provide support.  It is important to find people you can depend on, because things can fall apart without the right person. 
•    The results you achieve are based on the effort you put out. 

Housing:
•    Jason lives in an apartment subsidized by a Seattle Housing Authority project-based Section 8 voucher, which is owned and managed by Housing Resources Group, a nonprofit housing organization.  He pays approximately 30% of his income towards rent.  Jason’s rental subsidy is not a tenant-based Section 8 voucher which means that if he leaves his apartment he loses this housing subsidy.
•    KCDDD’s “Housing Innovations for People with Developmental Disabilities” program contributed capital funds to the  construction of Stone Way Apartments, where Jason has a two bedroom accessible apartment.
•    Jason’s universally designed apartment is on the corner of N. 45th Street and Stoneway Avenue in the heart of Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood.  It is within walking distance to numerous stores and restaurants, bus stops, library, community organizations and other gathering places. 

Reasonable Accommodation request:
•    Extra bedroom for a live-in provider.

Support:
•    In exchange for a rent free apartment, Jason’s roommate provides evening and overnight support for five nights each week.   Jason also purchases groceries for their dinner together.  His roommate John buys his own groceries for breakfast and lunch.  Jason’s roommate is not a paid personal care provider but provides necessary overnight and emergency support so he qualifies as a live-in provider.
•    Jason has MPC providers who help him with his personal care needs every morning to get ready for the day, and on the weekends. 
•    Jason’s mother Penny helps him with daily routines as needed, including covering schedules of the other MPC providers.  She helps Jason with all of his finances and takes him on various community outings.  Penny also receives MPC hours for providing some of his personal support needs.