Hope Community Resources to pitch Ptarmigan Commons housing plan at Wasilla forum Aug. 20

Hope Community Resources will present plans Thursday, Aug. 20, for Ptarmigan Commons, a proposed life-sharing housing community in the Mat-Su Valley for adults who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities. The free public forum is open to people who experience disabilities, family members, caregivers, providers, advocates and community partners. Hope says it is also meant for families planning for the years after parents and caregivers can no longer provide a home.

The forum runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mat-Su Health Foundation, 777 N. Crusey St. in Wasilla. Doors open at 5 p.m.

The nonprofit frames the event around that transition. "Join us for a free, in-person community forum to discuss future housing needs and neuro-inclusive community models for people who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities," Hope said in its event announcement.

The Model

Hope says its neuro-inclusive model calls for three to four homes serving three to four people each, so residents can age in place while staying connected to neighbors. Support services would be separate from the housing itself. Those services could be paid through Medicaid waivers or other individualized funding.

Ptarmigan Commons would be the nonprofit's third intentional community. Hope says its Denali Village project plans housing for 11 villagers and five staff in phase one.

Organizers say the model is meant to complement existing disability services rather than replace them. The agenda also sets aside time for attendees to ask questions, share perspectives and stay involved as the project moves forward. The Alaska Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education circulated Hope's announcement through its state distribution list. The details and characterizations of the project come from Hope, and no independent evaluation of the proposal was included.

Context

The proposal fits a broader push by disability advocates and providers in Alaska and elsewhere toward smaller, community-integrated housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as families plan for aging caregivers. Alaska News has separately covered a $40 million dispute over senior and disability funding during the last state budget conference, which concerned service funding rather than housing supply. Alaska News has also covered a 120-person waitlist for senior housing in Kenai, which involves a different population than the adults Ptarmigan Commons would serve. Neither measures demand for neuro-inclusive housing in the Mat-Su Valley.

How to Register

Registration for the forum is open at hopealaska.org/communitylivingforum/register.