Here are the details on investing* in our project to improve the quality of living, and quality of housing, for adults who are “almost able to live independently”:
As you may know from our video or our main site, we start with the fact that there are a lot of adults with disabilities who are “almost able to live independently.” They need some help, but not constant care.
This brings us to our vision of a set of residential properties, with disabled and non-disabled adults living close together. We have seen others’ solutions, including highly structured cohousing and licensed group homes. We wish them the best, but we want to try something different.
Here’s how we see it working:
- We’re in the process of buying a farmette right next door to our family home in Bridgewater, Virginia.
- Through renovations, additions and new builds, we think the total 1.6-acre site can be home for some “just regular families” and some disabled adults who are “almost able to live independently.”
- These properties will be regular residential real estate, each piece owned by an owner-occupier or an investor.
- Investors may supervise their properties very closely or leave it to us. We’re planning to have professional property management to work for us on leasing, maintenance and related tasks.
- Each disabled resident will have a care plan, arranged by that person or parents or guardians as the case may be.
- That care plan is separate from the lease — so caregivers don’t have rental-related responsibilities, and the landlord is just the landlord (disability-friendly, but not required or expected to arrange for any care).
Questions you may have:
- How do we handle legal and regulatory investment compliance? By having all of our investors participate through ordinary real estate transactions. As owners, they get the benefits and risks, just like the owners of any other rental property. They’re not buying a security or joining a partnership.
- What’s the downside risk for a property owner? Comparable to that of any other property owner, as we see it. We (the founders) will be living onsite with our son, an adult who has autism, close by. Since our investors will own their real estate, they’re free to rent, occupy, or sell their property as they wish.
- Will there be joint activities among all the residents? That’s up to the residents. We are designing this mini-neighborhood to promote, but not require, interaction. We also plan to have some neighborhood events, funded through financial arrangements that we have made.
- Are you looking for potential solo residents now? No. Although we are now looking for investors and owner-occupiers caring for a disabled adult, we are not seeking any unaccompanied disabled adults, as we’ve already had more than enough interest to fill the few such spaces we expect to be available. Unfortunately, we can’t make a big numerical contribution to this problem — but we do hope to pioneer a model that others may freely adopt or adapt.
- Can you send a site map and other details? Yes! — just use the contact form below:
*Yes, we really do mean “investing,” as in “committing money in the expectation of receiving a return.” In this case, the investment vehicle is regular residential real estate that you would own. And yes, we’re aware that some nonprofit organizations use the word “investing” when they’re actually asking for a gift with no financial return. We love our local nonprofits! — and of course we give to the causes that we personally care about — we just don’t like the term “investing” for that.