Confronting the Crisis of Homelessness for Autism

Joseph Geraghty is organizing this fundraiser.

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Introduction:

There is a crisis in the area of suitable housing and accommodations for young adults with special needs, as well as families with special needs children. This compounds the fear that many ageing parents are experiencing when planning for their child's future security after they are gone.

The Legacy Building Project is a newly-founded initiative developed in response to these exceptional needs. It’s also in response to the systems which relentlessly hinder these families from succeeding financially in order to provide a safe and secure future for their children’s unique living requirements.

Background:

We are an exceptional family with 3 special needs children living in Toronto. We have been faced with the lack of group home accommodations for our high needs non-verbal autistic son as well as the lack of any potential long term housing prospects for both him and his twin brother into their adult life. Additionally, our daughter with epilepsy needs to live at home for her safety and security.

Together we provide a circle of ongoing support for each other. Our intent with this project is to build accommodations that can meet the evolving needs of our adult children who continue to struggle with their disabilities. These challenges make it difficult for them to be self-sufficient. Without specialized communal housing, their future will be precarious.

Extraordinary challenges:

Because of these challenges, we as a family have found ourselves facing dire circumstances including the prospect of homelessness over the past several years. Many other special-needs families are facing similar hardships trying to manage crises in a time of crisis.

As a family representing others in similar circumstances, we are therefore determined to support the wider special needs community through this initiative.

Not just about us:

This pilot project acts as a template to equip and inspire other families in similar hopeless circumstances. Through this important initiative, families facing financial crises due to extraordinary circumstances can explore options for redeveloping their home.

This may include creating purpose built suites for their adult child with special needs, or creating rental suites to bring in extra income such as legal basement apartments, laneway housing, or the development of an annex home.

All are great ways to alleviate the financial challenges that many special needs families experience. Due to the uniqueness of this project in helping families in similar circumstances, we have been invited by the Department of Developmental Services of Ontario to present a webinar to share our insights and approaches with the greater special needs community.

About the project:

The Legacy Building Project focuses on the redevelopment of our existing bungalow into a purpose-built home with a detached annex property adjoining. The initiative will result in a multi-generational facility where our family and caregivers supporting our children can live, work and thrive.

To support the wider special needs community, the pilot will also provide rental suites to accommodate other adult individuals with intellectual disabilities. We have spent the last 15 years negotiating the planning process and accumulating funds of our own to secure the severance, all building permits, development fees, labour, and materials. This has taken us more than halfway through the project.

We have been living through the challenges of construction for the past 3 years as we do not have the option of displacing our vulnerable sons for even a short period of time. Although this project is physically challenging and can be emotionally draining, it is well worth the effort extended to ensure the future security of our children and other more vulnerable members of our community.

How you can help:

We are asking that you partner with us financially to make this pilot housing project a reality.

By doing so you will also be supporting the wider cause, by helping to create housing options during this time of crisis. Funds will be used to purchase big-ticket items like windows, roofing, and stonework, which will grant us the ability to live and function through the winter months. Any other support in the following areas would also be greatly appreciated.

Hope for the future:

Despite the statistics which show a steep rise in homelessness for this sector of the population, we have continued to maintain a narrative of hope throughout our journey. It is this hope that drives us forward. Through your support, you will help us and families like ours leave a legacy of hope for those who are unable to help themselves.