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“The interest in the country is overwhelming and many projects are in development or planning,” says Whittaker. Since the Village opened, seven similar communities have been built in
Florida, with four more in the works. All of the communities have a wait list. One of the new residences is the Tallahassee based Independence Landing. Whittaker was a consultant on the
project. Similar communities are being planned in many other states, he says. Allison Tant, who helped launch Independence Landing, has an adult son with Williams Syndrome (a rare genetic
condition). She is also a member of the Florida House of Representatives. “I actually ran for the legislature based on my son's life experience and families like mine that are facing
much greater challenges,” says Tant. When she learned about the Village model, Tant was determined, she says, “to have the same opportunity here in Tallahassee for my son and others like
him.” She met with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, put together a board of top-notch community leaders and got to work. Thanks to her legislative connections and political savvy,
Tant’s timeline was phenomenally short. “We organized in 2017, got the land in 2018 and got funded in 2020,” she says. Independence Landing will be, according to its website, a “safe,
affordable, residential community ... for adults with intellectual and/or cognitive disabilities.” "WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO OUR KIDS WHEN WE'RE GONE?" Another community for
adults with I/DD is being developed in Kendall, located in South Florida's Miami-Dade County. It stems from the efforts and shared fears of eight families who have children with I/DD.
The site plan for Casa Familia in Kendall, Florida Illustration courtesy Casa Familia “We got together frequently," says Debbie Lawrence, the mom of a teenage son with autism. "We
began our research and soon came up with the idea to build a community. We visited models in Florida and across the country and learned about the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, which
was used to fund other I/DD housing communities in Florida.” The families founded the nonprofit Casa Familia in 2015. Lawrence serves as the senior housing director. They assembled a board
of directors, each of whom — a lawyer, architect, banker — had a needed professional skill, and they partnered with a developer and service provider. The Arc’s Jim Whittaker was enlisted as
an advisor. Florida Housing provided $15 million in federal tax credits and a $4 million grant. Miami-Dade County helped secure a lease for a well-located, 9 acre property. Phase I will
create 50 one- and two-bedroom apartments that, together, will accommodate approximately 60 adults. There will also be an 11,000-square-foot community center. The planned 2020 groundbreaking
was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NEEDED RELIEF “I’ve gone from staring up at the ceiling and wondering, ‘What’s going to happen next?’ to staring up at the ceiling and _planning_,”
says Lawrence. “I remember thinking, 'I am going to be 80 and panicked about dying,'” Allison Tant says about her worries. For Moira Rossi’s parents, the Village is an answer to
their prayers. “Our daughter doesn't have any siblings. She has cousins, and I hope they’ll be there for her, but I don't want them to have that responsibility,” says Moran. “The
Village will be there and she’ll be well cared for over the long term. The Village affords peace of mind for me and my husband — who just turned 80. I can't tell you the amount of
comfort it provides us.” _Amy Lennard Goehner is the parent of an adult son with autism. He lives in a residential community for people with I/DD. Learn more by reading "Finding a
'Forever Home' for My Adult Son With Autism."_ _* The inclusion of specific communities and programs in the article “Parents Are Creating Communities for Their Grown Children
Who Have Special Needs” is not an endorsement by AARP._ _Page published November 2021 | Related links box, SSI benefits and some other data updated in March 2025_ THIS ARTICLE AND ITS THREE
COMPANION PIECES (BELOW) ARE AWARD-WINNING! _2022 Hermes Creative Awards (Gold) | dotCOMM Awards (Platinum) | Folio: Eddie Awards (Finalist)_ RELATED AND NEW!