There’s an effort at The Arc of Monroe to build housing that is more accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially as they age.
That’s according to Tracy Petrichick, the president and CEO of that organization.
On Friday, they held a groundbreaking on Long Pond Road in the town of Greece where two, new, fully accessible ranch homes will be built to eventually provide housing for 14 residents.
“Providing an opportunity for people to go into a forever home, that’s first floor fully accessible, we’re trying to get ahead of having any of them face the decision of having to go into a nursing home or leave their home,” said Petrichick.
She said the new housing will provide a higher quality of life and independence, which is especially important for individuals who plan on living in these homes for a long time.
“Given the shift in where people are and living longer, we’re finding that a lot of the physical plants (have) the upstairs bedrooms…we’ve been on a mission to get rid of that and not have those two-story homes that cause barriers down the road,” said Petrichick.
Executive Director for The Arc of Monroe, Tracy Crosby, said that the agency wants to “imagine the possibilities of people with IDD having the same opportunities for good health, fulfilling work, and independence in daily living as anybody else.”
Petrichick said the homes will be staffed 24/7, which is common to other residences that the Arc operates.
The homes on Long Pond Road are being built with the help of a $1.3 million fundraising campaign. It's expected they will be ready to be used sometime this fall.
This story is reported from WXXI’s Inclusion Desk.
