Housing

If you ask people with disabilities what one thing would help them gain their independence after money the answer is always housing. People with serious disabilities just do not have adequate accessible, affordable housing in this country. Think about the last time you visited a home without steps or other barriers to people with mobility impairments. Have you ever thought "Not in my back yard." Problems like these are systemic and largely unaddressed by today's social programs. We seem much more interested in new and creative ways to provide long term care than freedom and independence.

For the past ten years I have actively involved with building places for severely disabled people to live -- and live with as much freedom as they choose.

Frankly, this is a problem we can solve if we simply decide that freedom and independence is the goal. That resolve is largely lacking in american politics and american social programs.

I'm a Doctorial student at VCU working in the area of disability policy, concentrating on housing policy issues. I believe it is possible to change housing policy in America by using market driven strategies. If we can demonstrate to developers that affordable, accessible housing can also be profitable than the problem is solved. Building that profitable, replicable business model is what I am all about right now.

In the coming months I'll publish more about that and post some papers that further develop my theories. For right now I want you know that HOME, Inc. has built 40 units in the past year using the market strategies I'm referring to. In another year I think we'll be fully profitable and well on our way to demonstrating how this market can be a real boom market for developers.