Park City—Bridge 21 Park City has taken a huge leap forward in fulfilling their mission of providing safe and appropriate housing for the young adult, neurodiverse population who housing needs have been thus far overlooked along the Wasatch Back. The non-profit has signed agreements to acquire four new homes in the expansive Silver Creek Village community just east of Park City. 

According to Executive Director Deb Hartley, who also happens to be an experienced Park City real estate professional “Our Board created an extremely specific list of criteria needed for our homes to cater to this young adult population. It was important to them that we launch our housing program to make it most appealing to the young adults and their families to provide independent living with just the right amount of oversight.” The Board knew they wanted several homes, and the desire was to have the properties be as close to one another as possible, so Bridge 21 volunteers could program social activities for all to enjoy, create meal sharing opportunities and offer gardening. The Board used survey data from hired consultants to shape the housing needs of their constituency, which suggested that all bedrooms include private bathrooms for each resident. One of the greater challenges was the requirement to find housing that would include accommodation for Resident Advisors, who are trained on site care providers.

A recent market analysis completed by Neuruo-Inclusive Housing Solutions (NIHS) on behalf of Bridge 21 revealed that there are over 3,000 neurodiverse young adults residing in Summit County. A major concern is where these adults with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or other intellectual disabilities will live when they can no longer reside with family caregivers, many of whom are reaching advanced ages. That unanswered question was the impetus which drove a group of local parents and professionals to create Bridge 21, a not-for-profit that aims

for every Summit County resident with neurodiversity to have the opportunity to find a home in their own community. The NIHS report can be found on Bridge 21’s website.

“My son, Luke Weldon, was 21 when he transitioned into small-group housing. We were incredibly nervous but also excited about this opportunity for Luke to be more independent and be surrounded by his peers. While there, Luke has been able to learn new things that he wouldn’t have if he had still been with his parents.”

Clay Weldon, Parent/Bridge21 Board Member.

For neurodiverse Utah residents there is an extreme shortage of affordable, accessible housing that offers the needed safety and support to thrive. Too often people are displaced from their community into “the next empty bed” of a group home, adult foster care, or experience homelessness because they cannot afford or find an appropriate place to call home. Young adults and their families want to live in a neuro-inclusive planned community that includes people with and without disabilities, in a walkable location with extra security, designed to be cognitively accessible with easy-to-clean features and smart home technology. Desiree Kameka Galloway, lead consultant for NIHS says, “When we build housing that is neuro-inclusive with thoughtful property details such as universal design, easy-to-clean features, nature-based elements, additional soundproofing and pedestrian-oriented spaces for everyday chances for social interaction; we build housing better for everyone.”

The four homes within Silver Creek Village offer these desired features with the added benefit of allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) to be built either over the garages or instead of the garage in one residence. Each home includes four bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and an ADU and desirable features such as laundry area and two gathering spaces for activities. The homes are being built by respected local homebuilder Hillwood Homes and should be complete and ready to house residents by Spring, 2024.

Hartley commented “We are thrilled to have found these four homes in an evolving neighborhood so close to Park City which offers walkability, nearby commercial and industrial businesses for employment opportunities access to High Valley Transit’s on demand transportation. Our efforts now shift to a significant capital campaign to raise donations to fund the acquisition.

Residents of the homes will qualify for various levels of rent assistance; however, the acquisition requires significant capital. Deb clarified “Our fundraising efforts thus far were fruitful in generating the capital to provide the purchase deposit; however, we have a significant challenge in order to complete this important acquisition.”

Individuals or foundations interested in donating to the capital campaign are encouraged to reach out to Deb Hartley or the Board of Directors at Bridge 21 Park City. Contact information can be found at https://bridge21parkcity.org/about/

About Bridge 21 Park City

Our vision is for every neurodiverse adult that has the opportunity to live in community-integrated housing in Park City, Utah. We will accomplish this through our mission to create housing opportunities for neurodiverse adults in Park City that integrates quality of life within a supportive community.